The old power station on the Valletta Waterfront resembles a veritable fairyland to any space-seeker.
And with the current state of affairs – no proper museums, few galleries and even fewer proper exhibition spaces – it is no wonder that a group of 10 artists have “taken over” (part of) this humongous space and turned it into an artist’s equivalent of Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory.
The show presently underway, titled 10, is an in-depth project quite thoroughly devised by the Higher National Diploma students of the Mcast Institute of Art and Design (with a little help and guidance from their lecturers). The work being presented forms part of these students’ end-of-course work, but it is ultimately their calling card, their means of introducing themselves to the public and to the art community at large.
The students are Kamy Aquilina, Sabrina Calleja Jackson, Daniella Camilleri, Sean Camilleri, Ryan Falzon, Jennings Falzon, Jamie Farrugia, Kirsten Fenech, Sarah Mamo and George Micallef Eynaud.
What I find so remarkable about this project – apart from the overall high standards and the extensive range of media being used so creatively – is the artists’ enthusiasm and initiative to “own” this challenge, to collaborate and literally invest in their own future.
Now I’m not sure many were (or are) familiar with the gorgeous space of the old power station, yet those who are, would know that a decent portion (warehouse No. 9) was in a pretty dilapidated state. But over the past few months, these students and their lecturers have renovated and cleaned the space – painting walls, rewiring electricity cables and just transforming it into the kind of working space which, I reckon, will be generating (and attracting) a lot more interest now that it has been spruced and cleaned up. Yet, the best and most admirable aspect amid all this is that these 10 students have personally forked out the funds to get this space in working order. Instead of waiting for Newton’s apple to fall on their heads offering some epiphany, they’ve gone and plucked it for themselves.
VIDEO, LIGHT INSTALLATIONS
Mr Micallef Eynaud, for example, is presenting a video installation, as well as a series of highly expressive paintings which are both aggressive and provocative in nature. Mr Falzon’s larger than life-size entwined multi-stick-figures actively animate the space through their classical and graceful stances. His “sculptures” also provide a visual link between the ground and first floor spaces. Like Mr Falzon, Mr Camilleri exclusively makes use of objets trouvés to fashion his elongated yet precariously perched figures. Entirely made out of welded bits and bobs of discarded metal, this artist’s work already reveals potential and ability to create public art pieces.
Painstakingly pieced puzzles: Mr Falzon’s work was another favourite and his series of collages/ photomontages are valid “comments” which are altogether inventive, intuitive and more than a tad witty. Ms Calleja Jackson already demonstrates a strong sensitivity for interiors and surroundings, and Mr Fenech’s triangled vision “translates” and lends itself well into abstraction.
A number of students have also proposed light installations: such as Ms Aquilina, Ms Camilleri and Ms Mamo. Ms Aquilina’s work is effective and perhaps stands out because she is one of the few to bring a strong sense of colour to the table.
Each of these artists has used the space effectively in more ways than one – by closing parts off, by manipulating it, by painting on walls or on the floor (as Mr Farrugia or Ms Mamo have done) and this sense of daring, this need to push the boundaries of convention, even slightly, will go a long way in helping them shape a personal aesthetic, conceive concepts and work with a specific site and space in mind. Their lecturers, Gilbert Calleja and Sinéad Rice, who were even working away on site when I went to visit, have done a great job in bringing them this far. If anything, this exhibition proves these students are ready to fly solo.
The power station is the perfect venue for a multimedia visual art show of this nature, where every surface, corner, nook or cranny becomes a plinth, a platform, a pedestal... a tool which can, and has been used to the project’s advantage.
In actual fact the power station was begging for some attention. The main space, is a hollow, echoing void of gargantuan proportions several storeys in height, which is being used as a car park, although in the past it was used as a venue for performances and musical shows, while the renovated part of the Magazino is used as a cruise terminal.
Warehouse No. 9 was therefore virgin territory; but the compartimentalised space leant itself well to such a project whereby each artist could claim a section (inside or outside) of their very own. The old power station complex has been designated to house the Waterfront’s cruise liner passenger operations, which will also include commercial/leisure outlets. 10 just proves the immense potential this space – even in its raw state – offers. I just hope its distinct industrial style will not be sacrificed or compromised. In the meantime, I wish each of these students the best of luck and I sincerely hope to be seeing more of their work in the near future.
10 runs till the end of the month.
www.fa-10.com