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maltatoday | SUNDAY • 13 NOVEMBER 2022 15 COMMERCIAL CONCEIVED through a fusion of art, architecture and innovative design, Ur- ban Fabric is a large-scale installation informed by contextual research and a deep-rooted appreciation of the need for sustainable design. Commissioned by Arts Council Malta, Urban Fabric re-contextualises the tra- ditional Maltese village core and merges two separate elements - traditional city planning and the Phoenician-Maltese tradition of fabric production and dye- ing. The installation is in accordance with the artists' ethos of recyclability and eco-consciousness. The installation uses as its source ma- terial documentation about how the Phoenicians used to dye wool and lin- en garments using (mainly) two types of sea-snail species which are com- mon along the Mediterranean shores - the Murex trunculus and the Murex brandaris. The installation piece draws on eco-friendly methods as an alterna- tive to ancient practices. This research was carried out at the National Museum of Archaeology in Valletta, where the team retraced the footsteps of the Phoenicians, experi- encing the fine fabrics and artefacts of the time and using this experience as foundation. "Thus, Urban Fabric strives to en- courage discourse about the environ- ment by presenting a well-researched, thought-provoking creative installation that combines aesthetic and spatial awareness with activism," said Execu- tive Chairman Albert Marshall at the launch. "Arts Council Malta is also the commissioner for Malta's entry for the Venice Biennale, which we have once again taken up in 2017 and are now in its 3rd consecutive edition of our par- ticipation, the London Design Biennale was the next natural step for us to tap into, for the benefit of our local artists and creative practitioners." Open Square, the team behind the project, is an art and design collective consisting of four members: Luke Az- zopardi, Trevor Borg, Matthew Joseph Casha and Alessia Deguara. These four professional artists are known and respected names on the local and international artistic circuit, having already collaborated on high-profile projects. Each specialised in their respective field - ranging from architecture to visual art, spatial design, textile/fashion design, project management and crea- tive direction - together they drive the Open Square collective. Malta project for the London Design Biennale launched i n f a t a bl e c re atur es a nd l ot s o f act i viti e s ! M ari ne W il dlif e E x hi biti on w ith lif e -si zed 15TH NOVEMBER TO 2ND DECEMBER Esplora Interactive Science Centre was part- financed by ERDF. Esplora was declared to be an Emblematic Project by the EU Commission NTM In collaboration with: Scan the QR code for more information