Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1365202
maltatoday | SUNDAY •25 APRIL 2021 4 ART ORGANISED by a group of nine artists, 'Ennead' will be present- ed at Spazju Kreattiv this com- ing June. Sitting for their Mas- ters of Fine Arts in Digital Arts, provided by the Department of Digital Arts at the University of Malta, the artworks are based on their practice-led research. The works are multidisciplinary and conceptual, ranging from animation to abstract paintings, photography to telemedicine, audiovisual installations to il- lustration. The result is capable of reach- ing a broad audience on vary- ing levels and with diverse in- terests. All artists represented here believe that art can and should serve as a catalyst for dialogue, whether relating to the philosophical, cultural, so- cial, political or personal. The event will be open from the 4th of June till the 27th of June. Ennead – a group of nine, as are the artists in an exhibition of the same name. Ennead is a multifaceted col- laboration of Masters of Fine Arts in Digital Arts students and the Department of Digi- tal Arts, carrying out their fi- nal piece from practice-based research at the University of Malta. Each of the work's echo concepts of each artist, ranging from illustration, animation, abstract painting, photography, telemedicine and audio-visual installation. The themes of each work vary, such as Nicole Pace's lev- ity on the concept of physical- ity, and lack of it, using light and darkness. Bernard Poli- dano's encapsulation of a per- son's identity within a single photographic image. Clayton Saliba's merging of digital illus- trations with the medical field through a digital application, Peter Magro's animation which illustrates causality of human presence on an environment from the perspective of a stone. Nicole Zammit's meditative, therapeutic, flourescent paint- ings and multi-media installa- tion, Mikayla Bugeja's nonver- bal communicative techniques via facial expressions, gestures and mannerisms via online platforms. Emma Cini's visual- isations of fear and hope, two opposites represented in illus- tration. Daphne Sammut's hybrid in- strument, capable of creating music and sound via brain- waves, and Lara Manara's performative self-portrait and self-narrative video installation on temporality and conscious- ness. Although each of these indi- viduals' works vary, the exhibits are connected by a commonali- ty – the marriage of digital and analogue, the tangible and in- tangible. 'Ennead' will be launched on the 4th of June at Spazju Kreat- tiv, St. James Cavalier, who will provide their services, techni- cal support, and space for the exhibition until closing date, 27th of June. Nine artists showcase work at Spazju Mickayla Bugeja: The Effects of Verbal and Nonverbal Elements using online platforms With a background in illus- tration, interest and love for design, she explores more her artistic skills through an ab- stract style. This research will investigate the influence online platforms exert on an individual – to identify the in-betweenness, the interrelation between what is said and what is unsaid. The "unsaid" or nonverbal communication refers to facial expressions, gestures and man- nerisms. The researcher's intrigue inspires this study in the workings of communication through online platforms. The COVID-19 pandemic and en- suing lockdown have signifi- cantly impacted worldwide and has reshaped communication both in professional and infor- mal contexts. Peter Magro: Ode to a Stone With a background in illustra- tion and graphic novels, Peter combines drawing, narrative and practice-based research to produce a short, hand-drawn animation of a location with a fictional interpretation. An animation based on multi- ple onsite visits to a location on Manoel Island and culminating in the documentation of nat- ural and human-made chang- es which affect the landscape and place. This study aimed to observe a location on Manoel Island through psychogeog- raphy and phenomenology to understand multiple changes in an area. This research was instigated by his questioning of human intervention in the nat- ural world and to ask whether humanity's legacy is perma- nent when faced by the test of time. Ode to a Stone is a visual metaphor inspired by a poem influenced by his visits and observations. This is meant to encourage the viewer to un- derstand the importance of our connection with nature. Meet the artists