Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/236916
24 THIS WEEK THIS WEEK CULTURE | TV | FILM CINEMA LISTINGS FOOD | WHAT'S ON Their hopes for the y As we bid goodbye to 2013 and welcome the new year, TEODOR RELJIC asks a number of local personalities involved in culture and entertainment what they're looking forward to in 2014, and what kind of developments they hope will take place in their given fields RAPHAEL VELLA Artist, lecturer, curator Whatever we desire for the local arts scene during the coming year must be seen in a much wider cultural, political and educational perspective. Amongst the key ideas that we need to keep in mind whenever we plan for the future is the idea that the arts are, or rather, should be autonomous. This is not a new idea; the modern world as we know it wouldn't exist without it. A second and related idea is that this intellectual autonomy or creative spirit isn't something that artists own exclusively; as the German artist Joseph Beuys famously declared, "Everyone is an artist". This doesn't mean that everyone can paint, but everyone – from teacher to nurse or journalist – has the ability (some might say, the duty) to make use of this creative spirit. Including politicians, because by diminishing the significance of this creative spirit, one also diminishes the value of democracy. A third point we shouldn't forget is that people are becoming less and less insular in the contemporary globalised world. I mention this because I regularly work with young artists, and they are reaching artistic maturity much quicker nowadays than when I was their age. Whether we like it or not, one reason for this is clearly the internet and related information technologies. Young Maltese artists today are increasingly dealing with contemporary PHOTOGRAPHY BY VIRGINIA MONTEFORTE issues by making use of contemporary technologies. Yet, at the same time, in the last few years we have seen an increase in public commissions that simply do not tally with this general cultural context I have outlined in these three points. CLARE AZZOPARDI Author, founding member of Inizjamed Without any doubt, what I'm looking forward to the most is the publication of my new book for adults, 'Kulhadd Halla Isem Warajh', to be launched on the 31 January by Merlin Publishers. My hope is that this book, in which a lot of eccentric, complex, sensual women roam, will leave a lasting impact on readers. As for improvements, there's an extraordinary drive within Inizjamed as it prepares for the annual Mediterranean Literature Festival, now in its ninth edition. We're working flat out to make this the best edition yet. The line-up is going to be amazing. Apart from this I'd like to see some changes to the National Book Prize, as well as the National Book Festival (aka the Book Fair). I'd like the Council, of which I'm a member, to begin to think seriously about a literary prize, as opposed to a book prize, and about an exciting festival that is more than just a book-seller's bazaar. My hope is that we'll begin to see a change in mentality among publishers and book-sellers: if they themselves (barring some notable exceptions) fail to show the right appreciation for their books and the authors that write them, how can they expect this to become a nation of readers? We are seeing competitions endorsed by important cultural or political entities that ignore the autonomy or spirit of innovation of contemporary art by playing safe and by restricting the aims of 'public art' to honorific ideas, for instance, by commissioning statues of deceased political figures or grandmasters of the Knights of St John. With a year of political anniversaries coming up, I'm afraid that we can probably expect more uncreative projects of this sort, as well as projects that focus on 'national' (meaning 'insular') themes related to our recent political history, for instance, themes like the Republic, Independence, and so on. I don't think I know a single serious artist today who would spend time and effort to produce a work that celebrates national events like these. Do you know why? Because you only become intellectually independent when you no longer feel the need to celebrate your independence. The irony is that the best artists in Malta have already understood this, so these recent projects commissioned in the name of art are actually contradicting everything that artists stand for. So, what I'm really hoping for is that cultural policies, events and other projects developed over the next year actually start from where artists and other cultural operators already stand at present. And hopefully, that such projects and policies will really contribute to cultural growth by focusing on areas that still need development. CHARLENE MERCIECA Director, Soap Café What I'm looking forward to most is the launch of our latest creations. One of which is my latest natural perfume range. Unfortunately locally there is still a bit of a stigma on locally made goods. The authorities do not help either as they do not differentiate between artisanal goods and mass produced imports and therefore certain laws and regulations are 'equal' to both. This might sound 'fair' but in reality an artisan usually struggle more to make a living out of his/her art. Now imagine adding taxes to the final product as well, especially given that the artisans are already in competition with mass-produced goods. This is just one example of many struggles we have to face everyday. Myself, together with nine other artisans from different fields, all of which are educated and qualified in their respective fields, are currently pushing these boundaries to create an awareness of such situations. We created a legal foundation called Makers Mark where artisans like ourselves can potentially bring a different type of tourism on this island which can be highly beneficial to this economy. Alas, the men with the fancy suits in prominent places are failing to see this. OWEN BONNICI TV presenter 2014 should be a big year for me, artistically. By the end of 2013 I had launched my new TV show, One Night Stand, and for the first six months of 2014 I will be hosting a number of foreign celebrities, some of which are already confirmed. This will certainly raise the bar for the local television industry. Also, early on this year I will start working on a new theatrical show, which will be performed towards the end of year 2014… I can't say more about it at this point, but it's going to be a very exciting project which will feature both local and international artists. On a personal level I hope to find more time for the family. But though I'm planning for a week-long holiday, this year I will skip out on my usual January holiday due to work commitments.