Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1543797
4 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 8 MARCH 2026 NEWS Abortion: Solo-exhibition revisits the Jane Collective through Maltese imagery JADE BEZZINA jbezzina@mediatoday.com.mt Thanks To Jane includes an immersive soundscape featuring archival recordings linked to Jane Collective founder Heather Booth, and pro-choice protest chants historically used in the 1960s, which are still heard during protests in Valletta today IN the EU's most restrictive coun- try on abortion, an exhibition revisiting an underground abor- tion network from the US invites viewers to reflect on the present. Thanks To Jane, a photograph- ic solo-exhibition by artist Char- lotte Adams, currently show- casing at Spazju Kreattiv, draws parallels between the story of the Jane Collective and ongoing de- bates around reproductive rights in Malta. "I was heavily inspired by the Jane Collective, and the women coming together to support each other when the law did not allow for it," Adams said. The Jane Collective was found- ed by women's liberation activ- ists in Chicago in 1969, aiming to reduce the number of unsafe and expensive abortions carried out by un- qualified provid- ers. Operating as an un- derground n e t w o r k , the group o f f e r e d c o u n s e l - ling and performed more than 11,000 safe but illegal abortions before disbanding in 1973, after the US Supreme Court recognised abortion as a constitutional right in Roe vs Wade. That right was overturned in 2022 following the Dobbs vs Jack- son Women's Health Organisa- tion decision, prompting several US states to introduce near-total abortion bans. Adams believes the story reso- nates strongly in Malta, where re- productive rights remain among the strictest in Europe. Although limited legal changes were intro- duced in 2023, the procedure is still permitted only when a preg- nant person's life is in immediate danger. "I wanted it to be a predomi- nantly Maltese setting, with Mal- tese women," she said, explaining that the exhibition incorporates symbolism rooted in local tradi- tion, including church imagery, Maltese tiles and landscapes. Through black and white portraits, a layered soundscape and a short visual film, the ex- hibition at- tempts to merge his- torical nar- rative with contempo- rary realities. "The black and white film was to give a sort of timelessness, looking back at history," Adams said. "It also allowed me to develop the film myself." The immersive soundscape, fea- turing church bells and archival recordings linked to Jane Col- lective founder Heather Booth, incorporates protest chants his- torically used in the 1960s, many of which are still heard during demonstrations in Valletta today. "Art is a good way to create dia- logue for subjects that aren't given enough space to talk about," Ad- ams said. "I think that by doing this, maybe people with differing views will be able to reflect." Alongside the exhibition, a pub- lic discussion will take place on 18 March, bringing together Adams and representatives from Young Progressive Beings, aiming to ex- tend the themes of the exhibition into a wider conversation with an audience of diverse viewpoints. "I don't want it to be a debate," Adams said. "I don't want people to come just to give hate or turn it into something controversial. It's more for people to come with an open mind, to listen, ask ques- tions, and feel safe to give their opinion." While the exhibition honours the women who risked arrest to help others access safe abortions, Adams also sees the work as a form of protest. "I see lots of protests, but the thing is, it is still a big topic of shame here as well," she expressed. By revisiting the story of the Jane Collective through a Maltese lens, Adams hopes audiences will leave the gallery considering the exhibi- tion's central question: what has really changed? "Maybe we can make a change," she said. The exhibition at Spazju Kreat- tiv in Valletta runs until 12 April Artist Charlotte Adams at Spazju Kreattiv where her work is being exhibited (Photo: James Bianchi/MaltaToday) The exhibition re-interprets the Jane Collective through Maltese imagery (Photo: James Bianchi/MaltaToday)