Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1439469
maltatoday | SUNDAY •26 DECEMBER 2021 6 NATURE The migratory birds in Malta: a street art guide THE Migratory Birds in Mal- ta: A Street Art Guide is a pro- ject which explores the topic of bird migration on the Maltese Islands during what seems to be an ongoing hunting crisis. A number of migratory birds have been selected and depicted in the streets by artist James Mi- callef Grimaud a.k.a TWITCH in various locations around the Maltese Islands. Organised by the Malta Street Art Collective in collaboration with BirdLife Malta, the street art produced was documented by Steve Zam- mit Lupi using photography and video. A selection of these are in turn curated and presented here by Rachel Formosa in a multi- disciplinary art exhibition and accompanying publication. The art exhibition houses a series of photographic prints which illustrate the street art produced over the course of the year, a video of the work in progress and a digitised ver- sion of the final publication. Various selections of the doc- umented artworks provide an informative artistic account of birds' migratory habits. En- dangered species that frequent the islands are highlighted here as are the atrocities brought about by hunting; a 'sport' which seems to still enjoy im- mense popularity on the Mal- tese Islands. Among the artistic inter- pretations of migratory birds which have been painted in the streets, are the most colourful birds that visit the Islands; the European Roller, the Kingfish- er, the European bee-eater and the Golden Oriole. The Great- er Flamingo, which inhab- its the Salina Nature Reserve when in Malta is painted on a mural flying over Munxar in Gozo, and the Garganey, one of the ducks which migrate across the Comino Channel in March, is depicted on a wall on the is- land of Comino. As rampage development and urban sprawl dominate natural habitats, the Spectacled Warbler and Corn Bunting are here seen losing their homes, whilst the White Stork nests its young on a pile of shotgun shells. In anoth- er work, the European Serin, a finch, is subject to poaching and trapping, whilst the Lesser Spotted Eagle is seen taking re- venge on a hunter with its la- ser-beam eyes. When all things are considered then, the ques- tion here is how are these birds to survive as they cross over these shores? The exhibition is part of Spazju Kreattiv programme 2021/2022. The exhibition opens on the 2nd of December 2021 and runs until the 16th of January 2022 at Space B, Spaz- ju Kreattiv, Valletta. Entrance is free. For more information, visit www.kreattivita.org This project has been funded through the Voluntary Organ- isations Project Scheme man- aged by the Malta Council for the Voluntary Sector on behalf of Parliamentary Secretary for Youth, Sports and Voluntary Organisations within the Min- istry for Inclusion and Social Wellbeing.