Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1544871
3 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 10 MAY 2026 CULTURE ecological identity This can be linked to transgres- sions of nature in the context of colonialism, discussed by many influential post-colonial scholars including Frantz Fanon who cri- tiqued colonialism as a systemic violence that destroys the political, environmental, and psychological landscape. The painting is at once a framed Utopia and a Fanonian critique of ecological destruction arising from colonialism and the current neoliberal context, itself a form of neocolonialism. Artist as both totem and taboo In a paper on the theoreti- cal backgrounds of surrealism, Charles E. Gauss commented on surrealist works as being the res- idue left when artists strip down their souls to the bare framework of the unconscious. The Primor- dial Lullaby strand of works, in- spired by the primal and ancestral influences that are hallmarks of Meredith Monk's iconic lullabies, signposts the viewer to multiple unconscious processes. In this review I limit my interpretations to those resonant with the eco- logical theme of the exhibition. In Primordial Lullaby No. 3, the self-portraiture is bounded by the grotesque face leitmotif. The grotesque face and broken teeth can be symbolic of psychologi- cal challenges. More specifically, such composition can reference the artist's fear, strongly evident in both his last show and the present one, of his identity being swal- lowed or – rather more pertinent- ly – colonized by social conven- tions. This is another nod to the Fanonian critique of colonization and a re-working of the outcast (and hence, taboo) theme in his last exhibition. The artist, there- fore, positions himself as taboo. But as discussed earlier on with reference to the Kindred strand of works, the artist intended the grotesque face to allude to nature. The imagery can therefore also be interpreted as the artist's psychic retreat into nature. The thick lin- ing of the mouth is reminiscent of the uterine lining. This, together with the lullaby nomenclature, resonates with the 'regressus ad uterum' psychoanalytic concept referring to the unconscious de- sire to seek psychological refuge by returning to the original ecol- ogy of the mother's womb. Sándor Ferenczi perceived amniotic fluid as the primeval sea, arguing that the desire to return to the womb is an unconscious desire to return to the sea – the cradle of life on earth. Sigmund Freud linked the desire to return to the womb to the death drive 'thanatos' – which is the unconscious desire to re- turn to the tension-free, inorganic state of death – by envisaging the undisturbed ecology of the womb to mirror the non-living state that preceded birth. The sleep/death- like depiction of the self-portrai- ture is reflective of this link. The depicted mouth can also be inter- preted as a cave, which according to Carl Jung symbolizes a sacred space for birth and death, rep- resentative of the nurturing and devouring womb of the mother earth archetype. From a Jungian analytic perspective, therefore, self-portraiture in the sacred con- text of the 'cave' is symbolic of the artist's deep journey into the un- conscious, his re-presentation of his personal and collective inner self, and his alignment of his work with deeper universal symbolism. This composition visually ce- ments his role as a totemic figure, a recurring theme throughout the series of works. Vestiges is being held at the Wignacourt Museum, 2 College Street, Rabat, and remains open until the 24th of May 2026. The opening hours are Monday-Sun- day: 9.30am-5pm (last admission at 4.00pm). An evening of eco-fiction and literary dialogue at Valletta Contemporary Valletta Contemporary will host New Words for a Changing World, a literary event bringing together US poet and artist-in-residence Heather Bourbeau and Maltese novelist David Samuel Hudson VALLETTA Contemporary will host New Words for a Changing World, a literary event bringing together US poet and artist-in-resi- dence Heather Bourbeau and Maltese novelist David Samuel Hudson. The evening will feature readings from their latest works alongside a discussion exploring eco-fiction, storytelling, and the role of litera- ture in a rapidly changing world. Heather Bourbeau is an award-winning poet and fiction writer whose work has appeared in The Irish Times, The Kenyon R e v i e w , and The Stockholm Re- view of Literature. Her writings are included in the Special Col- lections at the James Joyce Library, Uni- versity Col- lege Dublin. Her latest po- etry collection, Monarch, exam- ines overlooked his- tories from the American W e s t . Bourbeau is also an Associate Artist with the French think tank Pro(to)topia and has worked as a consultant with various United Nations agencies, including the UN peace- keeping mission in Liberia. She is currently developing a new poetry collection and an in- teractive map focused on protected lands in the Western United States. David Samuel Hudson is an established Mal- tese author and journalist. He received the National Journalism Prize in 2018 for investi- gative reporting and served as a National Book Prize adjudicator in 2020. With a background in teaching, editing, and translation, Hudson is currently a creative writing lecturer. His fiction has earned international recognition, winning awards in both the United Kingdom and the United States, and has been featured in outlets such as NPR and the Chicago Re- view of Books. In 2024, he published his debut novel M. Bourbeau is currently undertaking an artist residency at Gozo Contemporary, hosted by the Nor- bert Francis Attard Founda- tion. The residency programme in- troduces artists and creative p r a c t i t i o n - ers to Gozo as a source of inspira- tion within a Mediter- ranean con- text, fostering intercultural ex- change, professional d e v e l o p - ment, and collaborative opportunities. Established in 2001, the pro- gramme offers flexible residency periods rang- ing from two weeks to three months. New Words for a Changing World invites audiences to engage with pressing environ- mental themes through literature, offering insight into how contemporary writers are re- sponding to ecological and cultural shifts. The event will take place on 14 May at 5.30pm. For further information, please contact maria@vallettacontemporary.com. Heather Bourbeau David Samuel Hudson