The quartet of massive knights shot down by the planning authority on Thursday would have acted as a reminder of the capital’s spirit, according to the artist.
Gozitan artist John Grima’s sculpture shows four eight-foot-tall knights standing in a row poised as if they’re taking a step forward.
“It is not a monument representing a particular person, ruler or historic event, but rather an art piece inspired by the spirit of a city surrounded by bastions,” Mr Grima said.
The artist was contacted by this newspaper after the planning authority on Thursday turned down an application from the Grand Harbour Regeneration Corporation to place the bronze statue opposite the new parliament building just inside City Gate.
When 10 board members voted against, critics who said it would have been out of place expressed relief while others insisted it would have commemorated the defenders of the city built by the Knights of the Order of St John.
They are poised as if they are ready to move forward
Originally intended for Jean de Valette Square, Mepa had objected to the statue’s placement at that spot due to the presence of a historic wall that forms part of the St Catherine of Italy church. An application was then filed last year by the chairman of the corporation to plant it opposite Renzo Piano’s parliament. But Mepa’s decision means another location will have to be found for it.
It took Mr Grima a bit over a year to make the original gypsum sculpture that would serve as a base for the mould for the final piece.
The work is a “contemporary idiom”, according to its creator. The aim is not to represent the detail of the knights’ armour but rather the spirit of the knights, and therefore the spirit of the city.
“The figures emit a sense of energy and strength. They are standing next to each other to protect, just like the bastions safeguarding the city.
“At the same time, the minimalist and abstract style, devoid of facial features and even with holes that let the light through, give a sense of spirit. A spirit of the past, but also of the future.
“They are poised as if they are ready to move forward – and so is the city. The city is not a relic of times gone by but always vibrant as a commercial and touristic source,” he added.
Asked about the criticism over the spot that it was going to occupy, Mr Grima, whose work includes the portals of St George’s Basilica in Rabat and the mother and daughter statue on San Lawrenz Road, said the piece would have been a reminder of the spirit that the city was built in.
“We’re so used to walking through City Gate that we take this for granted and the knights towering over passersby would remind them of just that,” he added.