Art is not meant to be a decorative item one hangs on a wall, according to Giuseppe Schembri Bonaci. Art has to spark questions first on itself and secondly on man's existence.

A substantial part of the works - 11 in all - in his current exhibition spur questions on art itself. That is what modern art is all about, he believes.

Called A White Chapel For A White Dance, the showcase at the Museum of Fine Arts in South Street, Valletta runs until December 2.

"The questions art ought to spur are not aesthetic questions like what is beauty but a debate with the great masters about what they considered art to be, a dispute between myself and the masters.

"Like the rest of my showcases, this exhibition is a reflective artistic exercise: Art debates itself through my works.

 "My objective here was to dispute white. White is the unity of light and the paintings show my thinking artistic process in discussing the concept of white.

"As if I am discussing with visual works with white itself. To see how white evolves, how it changes tonalities, like showing white with lime, white with gesso and white with sand, different whites and how it reacts to my actions."

Dr Schembri Bonaci, however, does not rest solely on that level but, as he regularly does, he includes in the equation a master, this time the Spaniard Francisco Goya and his dance sketch series.

"I created my own dance after Goya's. I use the dance sequence to clash white with white. The dance is in conflict with the orchestration of white.

"I believe every artist has to combine with a master in the discussion. This is, in fact, a permanent feature of my displays. Previous shows have included Rembrandt, Durer, Caravaggio, Matisse and Picasso."

The exhibition is meant to represent a chapel, another constant feature employed by this artist; a chapel as a place of contemplation with art as a contemplative medium, a prayer.

"A man who came to the exhibition has helped me discover something else about myself.

"He pictured me as a football player, playing completely on my own, scoring goals and showing great skill but without an opponent.

"By this he meant there is a dearth of debate on art, that there are no other players on this particular level. There is no visual dispute between living artists and no visual reactions to artworks.

"There are many good artists but it seems as if there are no other artists who are interested in taking up this specific challenge of debating art at this spiritual level."