Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1093354
15 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 17 MARCH 2019 ART ENVIRONMENT Rails and crakes are a widespread group of birds but many of them are often overlooked as they are so secretive. Of the 10 or so species recorded in Malta, most are either small or shy or cryptically coloured. Or all three. To make the game even harder, their favourite haunts are marshy places with reedy undergrowth. One such bird is the water rail (M. gal- lozz tax-xitwa). It's a regular migrant, arriving in autumn and spending winter snooping around reedbeds and tan- gled vegetation along valley floors, stabbing with its long red beak at anything that looks edible. Like other rails it's hard to spot but its 'squealy-pig' call is easy to hear. That call is a familiar winter sound at sites like Għadira and Is- Simar nature reserves, where rails can forage in safety. In unprotected places, water rails can be legally blown to bits by gun-wielding youths and men in camouflage gear. Visit Friends of the Earth's website for more information about our work, as well as for information about how to join us. You can also support us by sending us a donation - www.foemalta.org/donate GREEN IDEA OF THE WEEK 556 https://foemalta.org/join Text: Victor Falzon Photo: Raymond Vella 652. WATER RAIL HERITAGE Malta is inviting all scale model enthusiasts to visit the 38th Annual Premiere Scale Model Exhibition, which will run until Wednesday, at the Malta Maritime Museum in Birgu. The various high standard models which are on display are considered as veritable works of art and are testimony of the capability of Maltese modellers. The models consist of civil and military aircraft, cars, trucks and motorbikes, ar- moured vehicles and various classes of ships, all from differ- ent eras and scenarios, as well as a section dedicated to figu- rines. Many of these models have won awards and placed well in international events. As Malta's representatives of the International Plastic Mod- ellers' Society (IPMS), the So- ciety for Scale Modellers has been promoting scale model- ling in Malta for the past 38 years, and has locally and in- ternationally become synony- mous with the high standards in model making of its mem- bers. In its continued effort to en- sure that this expression of art remains popular, the Soci- ety strives to introduce young- sters to the hobby by means of its exhibitions and workshops in scale modelling. As an added value experi- ence, visitors to this year's ex- hibition will be able to follow the process of model construc- tion as members of the Society will be working real-time on models at work-stations set up purposely for the spectators' benefit. Visitors will also have the opportunity to vote for their favourite model in the "Visitor's Choice Awards". IPMS Italia and IPMS Cata- nia members will be visiting and displaying models for the first time at this exhibition with the aim of creating new connections between associa- tions. The exhibition is open from 9am to 5pm, with last admis- sion at 4.30pm. Admission at €2 per person. For more information, visit Heritage Malta's website www. heritagemalta.org Malta Maritime Museum hosts scale model exhibition AWARDWINNING artist-illustrator Julian Mallia, also known as Julinu, will soon present his first solo painting exhibition that promises to offer alternative visual interpretations of fa- miliar notions and elements from pop culture. The exhibition, named Julinu's Radioactive Ravioli, features a collection of 17 realistically- executed oil paintings, which utilise the artist's signature graphic wit, atmospheric surrealism and meticulously-executed visual ideas to pre- sent a different take on reality. While the exhibition's quirky title gives an indication of the artist's inherent deadpan hu- mour, it also acts as an apt metaphor. "We're all familiar with what ravioli look like, but you never really know what's inside un- til you actually try them out," explains Julinu. "Similarly, these paintings' aesthetically-pleas- ing, outward appearance may conceal more thought-provoking implications. In essence, I am borrowing techniques from the traditional fine art world to challenge contemporary no- tions and playfully explore the hazy overlap be- tween verbal and visual language." Although he originally graduated in Psychol- ogy, Julinu pursued a creative career that has earned him recognition from the AOI World Illustration Awards and has led him to be re- cently featured in The Power and Influence of Illustration, a book published by Bloomsbury UK. Curated by Justine Balzan Demajo and Fran- cois Zammit, Julinu's Radioactive Ravioli is supported by a Malta Arts Fund Project Sup- port Grant from Arts Council Malta and by Vee Gee Bee Art, San Gwann. It is targeted at anyone aged 16 and above and will be exhibited at Spazju Kreattiv in Valletta from Friday 26 April until Sunday 26 May, with entrance free of charge. The exhibition will also include a short mak- ing-of documentary, some giveaways and a cat- alogue featuring all displayed work, alongside refreshments including assorted ravioli. More information regarding Julinu and his work may be found online at www.julinu.com. Pop-surrealist painting exhibition to debut at Spazju Kreattiv Local artist Julinu's exhibition will feature playful yet thought-provoking oil paintings that present a strangely familiar alternate universe The various high standard models on display are considered as veritable works of art Julian Mallia known as Julinu