Ray Axiaq’s Virus-Cell Interaction.

Thirteen Fine Arts Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology (Mcast) students are exhibiting their work under the guidance of two of their tutors in a collective show titled Infectious.

The information I came across online revealed the brief students were given to come up with their conceptual pieces and paintings. It is, in fact, infections, and it sounds like it was written by a serious sufferer of molysmophobia.

To prepare for the exhibition, the students were in contact with Dr Mario Valentino, senior lecturer in Physiology and Biochemistry, in the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery at the University of Malta about his ongoing research on the subject of infections.

There was thought put into the concept of some of the works and, in spite of the theme, the result was sometimes exciting and at times even pretty.

Sarah Doublet’s lino prints and embroidery of the zoomed-in influenza virus created appealing patterns that were beautifully conceived. So was Lisa Formosa’s Burn, which consisted of an installation of porcelain clay spheres. Ray Axiaq’s painting Virus-Cell Interaction presented a similarly interesting composition, while his Untitled ceramics and wood piece focused on the Black Death and was reminiscent of death masks. His Rabies Virus, on the other hand, needed more attention in its execution.

Andrew Portelli’s crouched figure, clearly displaying some unsightly skin condition, was simply entitled Infected. Similarly deformed was Christian Micallef’s white painted ceramic baby with six limbs.

Two large flies by Maria Isabella Grech, on two plain canvases, were not innovative. This is a shame considering that the paintings were accompanied by an installation of hanging, handmade flies that was much more intriguing and better executed. Another installation was Laboratory by Christa Gerada, which had many test tubes set up in a small enclosed space.

In spite of the theme, the result was sometimes exciting and at times even pretty

Pamela Bezzina and Maria Borg used crafts to execute their concept. In Clean Your Hands Cuties, animals known to carry diseases were presented in the form of soft toys, which children would be attracted to. On the other hand, Eat Me mimicked a sweet stand, but with the inclusion of flies.

Christian Micallef’s ceramic baby.

Some students delved deeper into the theme rather than beyond superficial examples. Natalie Debono’s Viral Hemorrhagic Fever was among the better installations and really presented something that one could not easily forget. It also involved public participation, that is, for anybody who had the courage to drink the liquid which represented blood in the glass box the mannequin was drowning in.

In the same manner, Ezekiel Vassallo’s Tumour was an interactive installation (although I had to switch it on myself). Simple in theme, yet accurate, was Aaron Bezzina’s A friendly gesture? where five hands in terracotta emerged from an upright panel, to represent the germs being passed on through handshakes.

I was surprised to see no germ-infested mobile phone/tablet installations.

In spite of all this, the thought behind the setting and organisation of the exhibition was not satisfactory. This because the exhibits were not ready when the exhibition was advertised as being open to the public. The exhibition should have opened on September 9; I visited the Auberge d’Italie on September 10. Some of the art works were set up, but there was no information, no poster or banner indicating the title and theme of the exhibition, and no captions to identify the works or the author of each.

Everything was anonymous, and as one can imagine, impossible to understand what it was all about. And, I do not understand why the exhibition was inaugurated last Wednesday, five days before it closes.

I had the opportunity to come into contact with the work of some of these students in November 2012, when Banif Bank (Malta) plc gave them the opportunity to have their work printed on a 2013 calendar, for which I was a judge.

I got to know this only because I remembered some of their names when I looked up the exhibition online.

It is only because of this inform-ation that I got to understand what some of the students were trying to say through their exhibits. But without captions, this was far from clear. I inevitably walked around wondering what it was that I was standing before.

If I had been a sponsor for this exhibition I would be very cross. Is this the students’ attitude when being presented with such a great opportunity to exhibit their work in a prominent exhibition space in our capital? I ventured into Valletta a week after my visit to Infectious, and I was curious to see whether things had changed.

To my surprise, some exhibits had been added, others removed, and this time, the captions were included, although some of these were stuck to the floor whichmade it near impossible to read comfortably.

This exhibition has been set up as part of Science in the City, which was held in Valletta last Friday. Infectious is open until tomorrow at the Auberge d’Italie, Merchants Street, Valletta.