Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1536636
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 22 JUNE 2025 2 ART IT was, and perhaps to some extent still is, customary in Malta for young wom- en to be warned that men are 'a white flag', meaning that they can wash their hands from fatherhood as they please. It is a term that is supposed to make young women fear being used for sex, because the female part is left with the bump, burden and shame, whereas the male supposedly moves on without any feel- ings or ties. This project encourages observations that question negative popular assump- tions linked to fatherhood. It is aimed at initiating discussions and challenges ideas, beliefs and viewpoints about fa- therhood that may not be correct. This outdoor installation is thus located in a prominent pubic spot in the capital city (Melita Street, Valletta, on the side of the Franciscan Convent that is located in Re- public Street). It is a project featuring nine men who are experiencing fatherhood in different ways. Being a female artist who has pre- viously worked on a project dealing with issues that are experienced exclusively by women in her project 'Guilty', Bandiera Bajda feels like Farrell's natural next step in promoting learning, understanding and empathy towards different genders. The exhibition dealing with women's gender-related experiences was exhibited in MUŻA in 2020 and a selection of the collection now forms part of The Malta National-Community Art Museum's col- lection. The work The work revolves around a rethink of general mindsets, as art and society influ- ence each other. It consists of nine wash- ing lines, each with hanging white clothes and a white bedsheet. Each of the nine bedsheets displays a word, that Farrell wrote in LED lights, that she borrowed from the 'confessions' that each of the fa- thers wrote to her. The nine fathers' 'con- fessions' are also on display as part of the installation, together with photographs of the fathers that Farrell shot when she met them. This kind of work is effective when it forms part of the community. It was tak- en to the people in a way that it cannot be avoided. Planned discussions and sharing of experiences will be organised through- out the running of the exhibition, every Sunday evening throughout June 2025, from 7.30pm to 9.30pm, at the Valletta Local Council's Hall, Misraħ ir-Rebubbli- ka. Hanging Fabrics and an Arrey of Whites Spotless white sheets and clothes blow- ing on washing lines have formed part of the Mediterranean culture for hundreds of years. White is particular - for testing a bride's virginity by looking for blood stains after the wedding night, blood- stained sheets after giving birth, the histo- ry of the white flag as a sign of surrender, the shroud of Turin, a crisp white shirt for an interview, a white handkerchief, sterile hospital beds, a bridal gown…. Do men stain the purity of the white sheet and run? The work taps into starting afresh (fresh thinking), that is associated with the change of seasons, hanging fabrics, cleanliness and purity. It is displayed around Father's Day. This is a time asso- ciated with spring-cleaning, longer days, warmer weather and starting afresh with new hopes and positivity. The installation encapsulates these various inspirations, inspired, in turn, by a process of storytell- ing and formulating new narratives that gently confront, encouraging dialogue, understanding, respect and love. The Fathers In most studied cultures fathers have taken the roles of protectors, providers, and disciplinarians. Fatherhood has how- ever evolved with expanded roles in care, promoting gender equality. Fathers' roles differ, highlighting the need for collabo- ration and challenging stereotypes of un- involved fathers. This work seeks to delve into this concept of identity in a multiple and plural dimension by inviting differ- ent fathers to come forth to share their unique experiences. Besides the nine chosen fathers, other fathers have been invited to take part in the discussions that will be organized on the Sundays following the opening. The fathers that feature in 'bandiera bajda' are Manuel and Steve Aquilina, Jon Mallia, Victor Galea, Manuel Cassar, Naeem Shaikh, Nathan Camilleri, Josie Vella, Clive Piscopo and Reuben Vella. They put forward different scenarios of fatherhood – gay, foster, adoptive, tradi- tional, widowed, a young man who dreams of becoming a father, a mourning father, an expectant father and a stepfather. The discussions will also include grandfathers, separated fathers, men who due to delays in family court hearings are unable to see their children and men who experience infertility, among others. The public is in- vited to take part in the discussions and to share their experiences. The outcomes of the discussions will be documented and presented to relevant authorities. Bandiera Bajda deals with the possibility of social change and challenges the silence and apathy that in some cases has become complicit of the violence and the perpet- uation of the assault to human rights. It proposes the re-examining the everyday and familiar to challenge our conventional understanding of the world, in a language that appeals and touches everyone because of its simplicity, irrelevant of gender and age, thus reaffirming art as a strong and universal means of communication. Written by Etienne Farrell Bandiera Bajda: Rethinking fatherhood Photo: Keith Darmanin