Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1148959
THIS WEEK ART maltatoday | SUNDAY • 28 JULY 2019 4 How would you describe the FRAGMENTA project to the 'uninitiated', and given that the planned book covers the span of 2013- 2018 of its events, what kind of impact do you think it has left on the Maltese arts scene so far? FRAGMENTA is an initiative to pre- sent contemporary art in the form of events and experimental shows to the public. The events always take place in the public space, in different loca- tions of public and semi-public spaces on the Maltese islands. So far we have organised 25 events with over 35 inter- national artists, and many collaborators, volunteers, helpers and fans. The events are serious or funny, Dadaesque or ex- ploratory, playful or thoughtful... or simply art. They respond or refer to is- sues present in society, and offer think- ing space for the audience to raise their own questions. These types of events are not new in the world, but they were a first in Malta, in such a regular way and with a growing agenda. Never tak- ing a didactic approach, FRAGMENTA experiences do not present solutions nor preach, but offer encounters. I think (or at least, I would like to be- lieve) that FRAGMENTA has contrib- uted to give artists more of a boost to work on social issues and not only see art as a luxury good, and to the pub- lic to reflect those through the eyes of creative events. There are other projects now which bring art into the public space and I find that incredibly reward- ing, important and stimulating. Perhaps this is a tad idealistic, but I believe that through art, we can add a shade of grey to the battle between white and black thinking. What led to the decision of creating a book on FRAGMENTA's efforts, and why did you opt to go for the crowdfunding route with it? After almost six years of constant ac- tion, FRAGMENTA (and by extension, myself) needed a break to think about our next moves. I did not receive fund- ing for events in 2019 and did not want to go back to working in complete self- exploitation as we did in the beginning, when I paid production costs, and the artists would give out their work for free, so I thought that an intermediate stop to reflect about sustainable work, to take stock, and to analyse our possi- bilities was the best strategy. The publication contains descrip- tions, photographs and details of all 25 FRAGMENTA events that were held between 2013 and 2018, as well as newly-commissioned texts by authors on art in public space (Fulya Erdemci, Sebastian Cichocki, Raphael Vella and Charlie Cauchi). But it is more than just a summary. It also showcases a humor- ous (but true!) list of headlines present- ing events in public space which give a good image of what happened in Malta until 2018. The introductory text gives a detailed overview over reflections about art, politics and life in Malta and much more. The book also contains funny quotes, headlines, and absurdities. FRAGMENTA is using Indiegogo as crowdfunding platform in order to keep creative and editorial control over the The pop-up exhibition initiative FRAGMENTA has launched a crowdfunding effort towards a book documenting its efforts from 2013-2018. Founder Bettina Hutschek speaks to TEODOR RELJIC about the philosophy behind FRAGMENTA and why the crowdfunding route is the most viable option at the moment Collating the fragments "In a time of increasing censorship through funding bodies, crowdfunding seemed to be the way to go" Teodor Reljic SubversiveBillboard Bettina Hutschek