Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1216530
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 1 MARCH 2020 5 groups are invited to actively participate and explore their own creativity as they move through the pavilion. The pa- vilion is not being presented as the work of any single artist; we want to showcase the social interaction and performative creativity of participants who will also be encouraged to cap- ture images of their produc- tion and upload them to a dig- ital photo wall. The conceptual basis of the project is the aes- thetic of social interaction and creative pro-action itself. The Pavilion harbours an open, in- teractive, human and art ecol- ogy, in constant flux. The Shadow Colour Pavilion is more of a horizontal, disloc- ative space, shaped through the meaning-making of vis- itors, who are free to morph from viewers to protagonists – the creative aesthetic Other, and back again, as they them- selves decide. It is a transient space that issues an invitation to creative action. The immer- sive context supports aesthetic experience by heightening the visitors' awareness of their own perceptual and behavioural re- sponses. It also piques interest in a specific scientific informa- tion system that concerns the generation of shadow and dif- ferent colours through additive light mixing. There is an ele- ment of immersive spectacle. In the end, coloured shadows are fascinating and quite pleas- ing, aesthetically. How would you say that events like MICAS' Shadow Pavilion contribute to the current visual arts scenario in Malta? Events like the Shadow Col- our Pavilion open a wider con- versation on community-based participatory practice and co-production. The concept as expressed in the Pavilion may offer a more horizontal platform for all those who are curious about participation and the contem- porary idiom. It can facilitate creative expression as much as change perceptions about accessibility to such events. There is a playful element to the invitation, which appeals across the age groups. As a pop-up space for art to happen, it also provides a temporal co- habited space. There is no pre- sented art object to be viewed in the shadow pavilion. What is on display is the par- ticipation, the non-prescrip- tive socialised process of pro- duction in real time captured through the fleeting visual im- agery and aesthetic of the shad- ows participants project on the pavilion's interior. Education is at the heart of MICAS' remit, and we aim to remove barriers and make con- temporary art and creative en- gagement accessible to all. What's next for MICAS? It is a very busy and exciting year for MICAS. Preparations for construction works to start imminently on its interior gal- lery spaces at the Ritirata are in full swing, while the restora- tion of the adjoining areas is at an advanced stage. The next upcoming event is the MICAS Summer Cele- bration which will feature the exhibition Arabicity – Medi- terranean, a group show that presents the aesthetic, concep- tual, and socio-political con- cerns of contemporary Arab Renowned champion of Mid- dle Eastern art, Rose Issa, will curate the show. Arabicity – Mediterranean will be held in collaboration with Heritage Malta, MUŻA and the Embas- sy of France in Malta this com- ing June. The Shadow Colour Pavilion will be on display at St George's Square, Valletta on March 14 and 15, from 09:30 to 15:00 and 5pm to 10pm on both days THIS WEEK THEATRE "Education is at the heart of MICAS' remit, and we aim to remove barriers and make contemporary art and creative engagement accessible to all" Georgina Portelli, Curator, MICAS Creative Committee Researching colour and visible light – The RGB effect