Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1532462
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 16 FEBRUARY 2025 3 CULTURE Esplora launches Moonfall: The Rare Lunar Legacy exhibition during a special press conference ESPLORA Interactive Science Centre officially launched its highly anticipated Moonfall: The Rare Lunar Legacy exhibition to- day. The temporary exhibition, which opens to the public on 7 February, offers a once-in-a-life- time opportunity to explore a rare lunar meteorite and uncov- er the scientific wonders of the Moon. Moonfall: The Rare Lunar Legacy features one of the larg- est lunar meteorites on Earth, a 2006g slice of Tisserlitine 001, a fragment from the Moon itself. Guests will also embark on a ful- ly immersive journey through space, exploring the fascinating scientific connections between Earth and the Moon. During the press conference, Esplora Senior Director Olaf McKay delivered the opening speech, emphasizing the signif- icance of the temporary exhibi- tion in fostering curiosity and ex- panding knowledge about space. "At Esplora, we are committed to inspiring and engaging the next generation of scientists, innova- tors, and explorers. Moonfall is an extraordinary opportunity to experience the Moon up close and see rare lunar meteorites that are typically off-limits to the pub- lic. We are excited to share this immersive space journey with our visitors," said McKay. Keith Azzopardi Tanti, Par- liamentary Secretary for Youth, Research, and Innovation, also spoke at the event, highlighting the exhibition's role in promot- ing science and innovation in Malta. "Esplora continues to lead the way in science education in Mal- ta, and Moonfall is an excellent example of how we can engage the public with cutting-edge sci- entific experiences," said Azzo- pardi Tanti. "By showcasing these rare lunar meteorites, this exhibi- tion will inspire young people to explore careers in science and technology." Moonfall presents lunar mete- orites, hurled to Earth by asteroid and comet impacts, making them among the most coveted scien- tific treasures in the world. With only 306 known lunar meteor- ite samples, most of which are off-limits to the public, this is a unique opportunity to view these fragments firsthand. Access to the temporary exhibi- tion which opens to the public on 7 February will be included in the standard Esplora entrance fee. For more information about the Moonfall temporary exhibition, including upcoming events and ticket details, visit https://esplora. org.mt/moonfall-the-rare-lu- nar-legacy/ Photo by DOI/Daniel Scicluna FIFTEEN seventeenth-century paintings by renowned Maltese artist Stefano Erardi, featuring the apostles, have been trans- ferred back to Heritage Malta and the majority installed as part of the permanent display at the Inquisitor's Palace in Birgu. The paintings were treated by Heritage Malta's conservation team. Their reunion journey goes back to 2018, when a group of Heritage Malta curators noticed that a number of matching apos- tle paintings were scattered in museums and government prop- erties – two were at San Anton Palace in Attard, another was at the Inquisitors' Palace, anoth- er at the Grand Master's Palace and the rest adorned Ministry and public buildings. Through the cooperation of various en- tities, the paintings were trans- ferred back to Heritage Malta, whereby its conservators with the assistance of its diagnostic scientific laboratories, embarked on an extensive restoration and conservation project throughout 2024. This 'Apostolato' series consist of a number of easel paintings produced by Stefano Erardi and his workshop around the 1670s and 1680s, depicting realistic half-length figures of apostle saints. These sets were sought after for both religious environ- ments and private settings. The fifteen paintings forming part of the national collection origi- nate from at least two different sets, evidenced by the duplicated saints and differing typologies in the background. Despite hav- ing a more stylised appearance, Erardi's apostles give homage to his contemporary Mattia Preti's tenebrist work. The artworks underwent study and lengthy treatments, which were primarily aimed at preserv- ing them. Losses of paint and gilt were filled and retouched, and non-original varnish and paint were removed to uncover the original ones. The deformation of the canvases was reduced, and the paintings were re-stretched. These interventions also con- firmed the artefacts' authentic- ity. Despite the absence of back- ing archival documentation, the fifteen paintings are confidently attributed to Stefano Erardi and his workshop on stylistic and technical grounds. The facial profiles throughout the sets of apostles have been featured in the numerous religious paint- ings by Stefano Erardi found across the islands. Apostolato painted sets are typical of ecclesiastical interiors and collectors, in fact paintings representing apostles do fea- ture in a number of Palace in- ventories from the inquisitors' time. In this way, the paintings compliment the historic house approach which is currently be- ing studied in the Inquisitorial archives and increasingly being proposed at the Inquisitor's Pal- ace – where they can now be ap- preciated together, after so many years. Stefano Erardi Apostle paintings now gracing The Inquisitor's Palace walls