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1. What's been the most defining moment in your career so far? The most defining moment in my career was successfully completing my PhD. It marked a turning point not only academically, but also in the way I understood my own artistic practice. Before that, I often treated studio work and research as parallel activities, related but sep- arate. Through the doctoral process, I realised that when artistic practice is underpinned by sustained critical inquiry, it becomes more focused, more articulate, and ultimately more forceful. The PhD allowed me to slow down and reflect on what I was actually doing, rather than sim- ply producing work intuitively or reactively. It gave me the conceptual tools to contextualise my practice within broader theoretical, cultural and philosophical debates. In that sense, it was not just a qualification, but a form of intellectu- al grounding. I proved to myself that research does not limit creativity; on the contrary, it sharpens it, giving ideas greater depth and coherence. Since then, I have approached all my projects with a stronger sense of purpose and critical awareness. 2. As an artist, how do you navigate the world and speed of social media? To be honest, I am not a big social media fan, especially when it comes to the culture of constant visibility, speed and self-promotion that surrounds it. I find that this environment often encourages superficial engagement with work, reducing complex ideas to easily con- sumable images. That said, I do acknowledge its potential, particularly as a practical tool for dissemination and communication. Presently, for example, I am using social media more actively to promote my event Desire & Its Excess at Spazju Kreattiv. In this context, it proves useful in reaching audiences who might not otherwise encounter my work. I see social media less as a space for artistic validation and more as a platform for logistical visibility. It allows information to circulate quickly and widely, which is valuable in an increasingly fragmented cultural landscape. However, I remain cautious about letting social media shape my practice. My work requires time, reflection and conceptual depth, which does not sit comfortably with the pressures of constant posting or algorithm-driven relevance. I prefer to treat social media as a secondary tool rather than a central part of my artistic identity. 3. Do you consider artificial intelligence a threat to your career, or an opportunity? I do not see artificial intelligence as a threat to my career; if anything, I see it as a potential opportunity. For me, AI represents a new set of tools that can be used to generate forms, images and relationships that were simply not possible a few years ago. Like any technology, its value depends entirely on how it is used and within what conceptual framework. I am not interested in AI as a substitute for artistic thinking, but as a collaborator of sorts—something that can extend imagination, disrupt habitual ways of working, and open up unexpected possibilities. AI can function as a speculative device, allowing artists to test scenarios, visualise abstractions, or explore alternative modes of representation. In that sense, it aligns with my broader interest in questioning subjectivity, authorship and also the boundaries between human and non-hu- man agency. Of course, there are ethical and cultural con- cerns surrounding AI, particularly regarding authorship, labour and originality. These issues are not reasons to reject the technology, but rather reasons to engage with it critically. I see AI not as a replacement for artistic practice, but as another terrain in which artistic thinking can operate. 4. How do you stay motivated and inspired, especially during tough times or when the work feels hard? I stay motivated primarily through reading and research. When I find myself stuck or uncertain, I turn to scholars who are addressing similar conceptual problems through theoretical or philosophical frameworks. Engaging with critical texts helps me to clarify what I am trying to articulate through my own work and reminds me that artistic struggles are often part of a much larger intellectual conversation. Reading allows me to step outside the immediacy of the studio and reflect on my practice from a broader perspective. It pro- vides language for things I might only sense intuitively and helps me situate my work within ongoing debates about identity, power, gender and representation. This process is not about finding answers, but about generating better questions. During difficult periods, I also remind myself that uncertainty and frustration are integral to creative work. If everything feels easy, it usual- ly means I am not pushing myself conceptually or formally. Tough moments often signal that something meaningful is at stake. In that sense, difficulty becomes a form of motivation in itself. 5. How do you balance your creative instincts with the expectations of your audience or collaborators? I never really bothered too much about what an audience has to say about my work. I believe in what I am doing, and that conviction is important to me. Artistic practice, in my view, should not be driven by external validation or the desire to please. If I start adjusting my work to fit audience expectations, it risks losing its conceptual integrity and critical edge. With collaborators, and in my case, it is usually the female model, the situation is different. Collaboration requires trust, negotiation, openness and a willingness to listen. Her needs and expectations are just as important as mine. It becomes a shared space where ideas are shaped through dialogue rather than individu- al authority. In these cases, compromise is not a weakness, but part of the creative process. The key difference lies in intention. While my practice is guided by internal necessity, our collaboration is guided by relational responsi- bility. Balancing the two means knowing when to adapt. Ultimately, I try to remain honest to my ideas while recognising that creative work does not exist in isolation. 6. How do you approach a new project? Do you have a specific process or routine you follow? I usually begin a new project by taking notes and immediately writing down any ideas that come to mind, no matter how fragmented or undeveloped these may be. This initial stage is intuitive and exploratory, more about capturing impulses than defining outcomes. I treat it as a form of thinking on paper, where concepts start to emerge through association rather than planning. From there, I begin to organise these ideas, identifying recurring themes, questions or images. This process often involves reading, sketching and collecting visual or textual references. I am interested in allowing a project to grow organically, rather than imposing a rigid structure from the start. Over time, certain ideas gain more weight and begin to shape the direction of the work. I do not follow a strict routine, but I value consistency and attentiveness. A project evolves through sustained engagement rather than sudden inspiration. What matters most is remaining open to uncertainty and allowing the work to reveal its own logic gradually. 7. Can you let us in on some of the future projects or works? Some of my future projects will definitely centre around filmmaking. I am increasingly interested in moving image as a medium that allows for more complex explorations of time, narrative and embodiment. Film offers a differ- ent spatial and temporal experience compared to static visual art, and this shift opens up new conceptual possibilities. Through film, I want to explore how the body can be represented as a process—something that unfolds, transforms and resists fixed meaning. This aligns with my ongoing interest in subjectivity and alterity, but within a more immersive and temporal framework. While these projects are still in early stages, they represent a natural extension of my existing practice. Rather than abandoning previous concerns, I see filmmaking as a way of maltatoday | SUNDAY • 8 FEBRUARY 2026 CULTURE Maurizio Cattelan to headline Malta Biennale 2026 PAGE 2 ARTS • TV • WHAT'S ON BY LAURA CALLEJA suggestions by email lcalleja@mediatoday.com.mt The Q & A LAWRENCE BUTTIGIEG 7 questions for... Extra round Who are your biggest influences, and how have they shaped your work? When it comes to artists, my main influences are Pierre Bonnard (1867-1947), Alina Szapocznikow (1926-1973) and Euan Uglow (1932- 2000). Bonnard's work has deeply affected my understanding of colour, intimacy and the domestic body. His paintings suggest that representation is always filtered through perception, memory and desire, rather than direct observation. Alina Szapocznikow's work has been particularly important in shaping my approach to the body. Her fragmented, visceral sculptures challenge idealised representations and confront the body as vulnera- ble, unstable and deeply political. Euan Uglow, on the other hand, has influenced my sense of structure and spatial precision, particularly in how bodies are measured, framed and constructed within pictorial space. Lawrence Buttigieg is an architect, artist and freelance researcher who received his PhD from Loughborough University in 2014. His work explores representations of womanhood, mainly through paintings and box- assemblages that examine alterity, selfhood and male subjectivity in Western culture. You can find him at www.aboutlawrence.eu. MaltaToday is supported by Arts Council Malta BOOKS Supporting Malta's living authors through the Public Lending Rights Scheme PAGE 3