The Malta International Arts Festival kicks off on Friday with Vertical Waves and Bandli.

Vertical Waves is an artistic project that mixes together research on body movement with sound and video in the spatial context of where the performance is taking place.

The facade of the National Library will become a stage as the performers use ropes, body movement, sound, video projections and space to create a thrilling vertical dance quality that plays with a perceived lack of gravity.

The performance mixes feminine delicacy with the strength of rhythm and acrobatics, exploring themes of relationships, loneliness, togetherness and waiting. Performers alternate and relate, constructing a series of tableaux defined by video projections.Artis

Bandli builds upon the popular fun instinctive mode of entertainment of playing with swings to create an interactive sound installation.

Eight swings will be installed in Pjazza San Ġorġ, and each one will be equipped with a motion sensor which is triggered through the swinging action.

hese, in turn, trigger sounds of different instruments which will be assigned to each of the swings, allowing the whole structure to function like a music ensemble that is brought to life through the interactive engagement of the public.

When two persons use the swings, they create a duo; four, a quartet... all the way up to an eight-piece ensemble.

Bandli is a collaboration between the Malta International Arts Festival and Modern Music Days – a concert series of 20th century and contemporary music featuring a collaboration between Valletta2018 and Teatru Manoel.

It will be held between Friday and July 17 between 10am and 11pm.

The 11th edition of the Malta International Arts Festival is organised by Arts Council Malta.