Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1240944
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 26 APRIL 2020 4 THIS WEEK CULTURE As visual arts spaces struggle to reassert themselves and recalibrate their operations in the wake of COVID-19 social distancing restrictions, the independent Valletta contemporary art space Blitz will be boosting its online presence from May onwards, in a bid to remain a relevant player in the field. TEODOR RELJIC spoke to Blitz founder Alexandra Pace and curator Sara Dolfi Agostini about the two f lagship initiatives of this new drive: 'OPEN' and 'Kids at Home' Not a temporary fix Galleries must adapt to post-covid realities like every other institution, of course. What were the initial, internal conversations at Blitz like when it came to coming up with the gameplan that eventually led to 'Open'? Alexandra Pace: We are living in unique and surreal times, where nei- ther individuals nor institutions have escaped the necessary rethinking of everything previously considered the norm. Over the years we've written up many risk assessment plans in our fore- casts and strategy plans, but this is the first time we've ever had to really imple- ment them. On one hand, we were very fortunate to find ourselves in a period between closing an exhibition and preparing for another so thankfully the previous show on our programme – Tobias Ziel- ony's solo exhibition Isn't Life Under The Sun Just A Dream – had run its full term, until February 29. However, we were preparing for the next item on our programme with all hands on deck. An ambitious exhibition project with Italian artist Marinella Senatore that included a performance inspired by her internationally celebrated School of Narrative Dance taking over Repub- lic Street – an event whose success re- lied on engaging a diverse array of local communities to express themselves in Malta's most symbolic public space, in conversation with and the artist, her team travelling from Italy and Paris and our local project manager Kristina Borg. After talks with our partners – Istituto Italiano di Cultura La Valletta, Valletta Cultural Agency and La Quad- riennale Roma – postponement was the inevitable path to take. The open call to participate in Marinella Senatore's performance is still up on our website, and we welcome people to get in touch if they want to participate. We are constantly monitoring the sit- uation and look forward to announcing a new date when it will be safe to re-ap- propriate public spaces and take action together. It will be an even bigger cele- bration! Meanwhile, we quickly expanded our focus to a new direction. Blitz has previ- ously toyed with the idea of implement- ing an online space to operate in paral- lel with the physical galleries. It was just never the right time, nor the priority. Two factors which swiftly became both timely and necessary, and once Sara Dolfi Agostini and I defined the ration- ale behind Blitz's online presence, we immediately kicked in the process to start building the assets and launch the platform. Beyond some of the more obvious con- cerns about physical space and social proximity, how will this new approach change the way you do things at Blitz? Sara Dolfi Agostini: We have been tele- working for over a month now, and we surely miss meeting the art community. Blitz is more than a display of artworks. For over seven years it has been a hub for contemporary art in Malta, and we treasure our conversations with artists and visitors, because they keep us an- chored to the ground and responsive to the needs of our local stakeholders. The new online identity of Blitz is that of a space without walls, one that inspires emancipation, unlocks creativity and builds a much needed counter-narra- Blitz curator Sara Dolfi Agostini and founder Alexandra Pace: "We are embracing the challenges and learn- ing from this experience. Once a vulnerability is exposed, the natural instinct to shape-shift kicks in" Blitz curator Sara Dolfi Agostini and founder Alexandra Pace