Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1499757
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 21 MAY 2023 6 ALMANAC My essentials STEPHEN SALIBA 43, profession, Artist An artist who earns his living as a scientist while happily embracing this duality. Not a painter, not a ceramist nor a photographer but at the same time I use all these media and others developing creative concepts and ideas into artistic works. I am mostly associated with eco-installations and large abstract minimalist paintings; however, I am always intrigued by the experience of trying new media and so am constantly looking into new project possibilities. 1 4 5 1. Book 2. Film 3. Internet 4. Music 5. Place A feature on Neri Oxman – a scientist, an architect, an artist … and a mother. She is known for art and architecture that combine design, biology, com- puting, and materials engineer- ing. I remained fascinated by her intelligence and inspiring revolutionary approach combin- ing such a variety of disciplines. I was humbled to the point of seriously considering stopping pursuing my artistic career. She is also a very attractive woman. Some people really have it all. I am not much of a follower of the current music scene. In general, I like Italian mu- sic and lately am into the Vasco Rossi phase. His lyr- ics touch upon social and existential themes that re- main relevant. With Vasco I also share the soccer pas- sion for the Inter team … renowned for making their fans suffer - probably that's where he gets the inspira- tion from. I would love to go to the Am- azon rain forest again. I was lucky enough to experience it some years back and it is a place which puts you in per- spective. Mind you there are many similar places like that outside Europe - so any such place would do. The remote- ness, the beauty of nature, the variety of biodiversity, the vulnerability of the human species in such places. It also makes you realise that there are other ways of how man could live, and which provide an inner peace and an enrich- ing spiritual dimension. This is what I long for in my travel destinations. 'GGANTI' by David Aloisio, this book was given to me by the author who is an old friend of mine during a class reun- ion. It is a classic adventure novel which reminds me of the books I read during my youth- ful days bringing out nostalgic atmosphere of reading Trevor Zahra and Enid Blyton books during the school summer holidays. It is a pity that the younger generations of our time seem to be losing on this sense of adventure and the connection with nature asso- ciated with such experiences. IT'S a Series – 'Servant of the People' featuring Volodymyr Zelensky. It's funny, irrever- ent, political, and intelligent. Zelensky's role in the show, is in stark contrast to the current role he plays during wartime as the actual leader, which makes the show even stranger, more interesting, and even surreal in contrast. It also questions our views of political leaders – many of whom are only funny when they are being serious. I rarely finish a series, I get bored easily – so I don't know how this ends, but I still rec- ommend it since it increased my admiration for this person. 3 2