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MALTATODAY 14 April 2019

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHARLES BALZAN maltatoday | SUNDAY • 14 APRIL 2019 5 THIS WEEK ART offer a romantic and nostalgic image of intimacy, yet their ambiguity add to your curiosity. Each artist con- trasts and complements the other, leaving the viewer with a sense of be- ing exposed to a different perspective on the subject. Do you really believe that nudity and eroticism – which Smudge sets out to explore – are/were taboo subjects in Malta? If so, how does the exhibition confront this reality? Yes, I do believe so. As a society, we have taken huge cultural shifts to- wards accepting different attitudes to sexuality, yet here in Malta nudity is still scandalous. I also wanted to ask people to question why themes of nu- dity and eroticism can be something uncomfortable to look at, when in fact it is the most natural state of hu- man form. By questioning our social boundaries, we can discover our own natural taboos and those that have been inherited from a previous era. When presenting such images to the public, I would like to consider that we are confronting the situation. By displaying works in a safe public open space, we offer an opportunity to break down this stigma and en- courage the viewer to think beyond the restrictive cultural norms. An- other motivation is to create aware- ness for the viewer to be more com- fortable within their own skin and acceptance of others. What do you make of the visual arts scene in Malta? What would you change about it? In the last few years the art scene has progressively improved, with more art spaces opening up and more investments being made. Whether this growth is sustainable is another question. If I had one wish, it would be for the local art scene to be more daring, and get even more outside its comfort zone. Only then can we real- ly grow. Also, there is still a dire need to create more engagement with the public, and participating with edu- cational establishments and projects helping the coming generations to be more enthusiastic and involved. What's next for Studio 87? After the closing of Smudge, which will fall on April 26, we will have the pleasure of hosting a solo exhibition of American Pakistani artist Saneeya Ghadially. Saneeya will be present- ing us with her exhibition entitled 'Out of Context', which will explore both mythological and Catholic themes executed in an old Persian traditional form of miniature paint- ing. She has been based here for two years, and her work is very symbol- ic of her stay in Malta. During the summer, we enjoy making use of the rest of the space such as weekly yoga on the roof, film screenings, pop-ups and more. Smudge will remain on display at Studio 87, Liesse Hill, Valletta until April 26. The space will be open from 10am to 6pm from Monday to Friday. "Studio 87 is not a gallery, but more of an independent community art space" "Having studied in Florence where the human figure is celebrated, even associated with divinity, I wanted to explore how the idea of the creative act can be illustrated by eroticism" Acetone print by Ryan Falzon PHOTOGRAPHY BY SARAH CHIRCOP PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOANNA DEMARCO Shot from the launch of 'Smudge' on April 5 at Studio 87 Justine Balzan Demajo: "As a curator, I enjoy the challenge of dealing with pre-conceptions of what people expect art to be"

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