Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1327039
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 10 JANUARY 2021 4 ART Exhibition explores primordial roots DARKNESS at Noon, a collec- tive exhibition explores the pri- mordial roots of our humanity through the lens of the uncan- ny. It will showcase the work of three Maltese artists: cera- mist Paul Scerri, photographer Charles Balzan and painter Ga- briel Buttigieg. Darkness at noon as a meta- phor is the archetypal uncanny moment: frighteningly strange and defined by an occurrence that violently alters the pat- terns of nature. Responding to this motif, each artist has cre- ated a collection which, while radically different in terms of form and style, explores the same sphere of human experi- ence. As a tool for understand- ing human thought and feeling, the structure of the uncanny is a psychological mechanism which opens a point of access into a deep analysis of forma- tive human impulses. Coming at the tail-end of the COV- ID-19 pandemic, Darkness at Noon seeks to investigate the primordial architecture of hu- man consciousness by utilising the uncanny as a tool for exam- ining the unconscious human depths which make us who we are. Reminding everyone of their hidden nature - rooted in nature, history and the archi- tecture of survival - the work of these three artists challeng- es one's perception of what it means to be civilised. In the uncanny eclipse of Scer- ri's, Buttigieg's and Balzan's work the relationships peo- ple cherish and the certainties which they hold to be true are designated as symbols of the subterranean forces that shape the unfolding of their lives. Understanding the compul- sions that shape people as 21st century human creatures leads to a fuller expression of one's humanity, a widened sense of empathy and conscientious- ness which breaks down the walls of otherness. At its most basic, Darkness at Noon aims to underscore the common structures which unite everyone in a natural way by breaking down the artificial- ly perceived barriers of essen- tial separation, be they COVID induced or ingrained into the workings of one's brains, con- cepts and society. There will al- so be a catalog featuring essays by Clive Zammit and Giulia Privitelli. Darkness at Noon can be viewed at The Splendid from 6 to 24 February and will be open Monday to Sunday from 10am to 6pm. A Choice of Perception,Glazed Ceramic and Metal 2020 (left)