If you do have any kind of an appetite for the visual arts, of the modern and contemporary kind, here’s some food for thought.

The institution of a museum of modern and contemporary art in Malta is a hot topic

Last week Chris Briffa presented his latest project at Lily Agius Gallery in Sliema.

It’s not a public convenience project and neither is it related to Malta Design Week, regrettably (I know people are expecting a second edition).

No, this time he is proposing a museum. Obviously, this comes not without controversy. And thank goodness for that. Things have been quiet on the art front for too long now.

So when Chris comes along and proposes this museum, of modern and contemporary art nonetheless, in the capital city’s covered market – dubbed VAM: Valletta Art Museum – all hell breaks loose. Or almost.

The plan was featured in the Times earlier this week and as per usual, everyone’s got an opinion and everyone feels the dire need to impose that opinion on everyone else.

A Facebook group set up specifically for the event has shown and is still revealing a wide array of conflicting thoughts and comments, which I’ll admit to enjoying greatly.

Finally some of the collective latent passion is emerging, which is what this country needs if any such museum is ever to materialise.

The “healthy” ongoing debate does not only revolve around whether the covered market per se would or would not make an adequate museum space, but also around Chris not being the first person to propose a new designation for this site.

Without going into the merit of who did what first, fact is, if anyone else embarked on such a project in the past years, the public has been none the wiser.

Which is a pity, cause if the original proposals for a similar project were made as early as 10 years ago by Ray Bondin (on behalf of the Valletta Rehabilitation Project).

Then this discussion could have been under wraps by now and/or the project well on its way to completion. I jest and I dream. Partially, on both counts.

The only person to push the boundaries in the name of Malta’s contemporary art/artists was Mark Mangion, when he founded the Malta Contemporary Art Foundation in 2008.

It was initially housed in a Marsa warehouse and later transferred to the Upper Galleries of St James Cavalier, where after some 12 months, it became “homeless”. Mr Mangion’s efforts need to be duly acknowledged in the sphere, yet I feel the debate needs to shift towards the validity and necessity of the temporary vs the permanent exhibition spaces.

Chris’s VAM proposal almost comes as a natural progression. An attempt at tempting fate, at accelerating bureaucratic procedures and perhaps seducing the powers that be (and here I not only refer to the state, but even to the private sector) with images rather than mere words.

Stripped of all accretions, these images reveal the covered market’s 1,200 square metres of floor space, with walls measuring nine metres in height – a space which could accommodate artworks, installations and sculptures of substantial dimensions.

One thing’s for sure. Chris Briffa knows how to stage one heck of an exhibition. In fact, it might be a bit presumptuous of me to say this, but I think a healthy portion of Malta’s artists need to get to this show, not solely or necessarily to view the plans of the VAM, but also to take a good look at the presentation.

Matt grey walls (painted purposely); white contact paper lettering introducing the show, its mission and concept as well as the plans of the covered market; more contact paper lettering for the captions; each of the renders printed chiefly in sepia monochrome; hung at eye level – no neck-craning needed; mounted and held together in a neutral box frame.

Simple, effective, gorgeous. The show is impeccably curated, I guess it takes an architect to show us how it’s done.

His only fault, in my books, was the inclusion of the Gobelin Tapestries in one of the renders, which was hardly in-keeping with the whole modern and con-temporary art theme. The tapestries do look imp-ressive, however, and “show off” the height and overall dimensions of the space being considered.

Chris more than made up for his shortcomings through the sensitive choice of the widening of the market’s ditches, which would host gourmet food stalls, thereby incorporating the market’s original function within this new and bold vision.

The institution of a museum of modern and contemporary art in Malta is a hot topic. Yet it is not a question of if or whether, but rather a question of when, where and how.

I do hope the authorities are asking themselves these questions, because those of us in want have been patiently expecting answers.

Thankfully Chris has thrown the issue into the limelight, which is perhaps the foremost achievement of this proposal and exhibition which has definitely succeeded in what it set out to do.

• Showing at Lily Agius Gallery till April 14, the VAM project and exhibition is supported by The Malta Arts Fund, all proceeds of sales will be in aid of Inspire Foundation.

www.lilyagiusgallery.com