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MT 7 June 2015

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maltatoday, SUNDAY, 7 JUNE 2015 This Week 31 mundane beauty and interior design talk' John Grech telling me that my work "seems to work against many ideas associated with capitalist society" and that "the work would be most sympathetically shown in an 'artist- run' ghetto type space". Unfortu- nately such a space is hard to find locally and if you somehow manage, as in our case with the Old Power- house in Floriana, we still gave it up when faced with all the insurance/ health and safety charges around. Luckily the Akkademja Kulturali Pawlina hub is working beautifully. Art can feature elegantly without disrupting the nature of the build- ing itself and the activities that go on within. Both the Akkademja and ourselves as an artist and curator team believe that such art interven- tions in community spaces should come in relationship with the various groups that use it. In this regard, two public talks will also be held in the space, allowing for people to walk in and share views about an academic aspect inspired by the works. A book featuring aca- demic essays from Dr Vince Briffa, Dr Giuliana Fenech, Dr Laner Cas- sar, Irene Biolchini, Anna Grima and Dr Mario Aquilina will also be launched within the space in the near future. How would you say this exhibition marks the development of your work so far? This is a milestone for Pawlu and for Simon. We've both had our good experiences in the past yet this is our first solo effort in our respective fields. Artistically I think this project – including two public talks and the publica- tion of an academic book – are a very intense effort to place visual arts under intellectual scrutiny, away from the mundane beauty or interior design talk! On a more personal level, I think this collection was quite a challenge for me. There is so much going on an emotional level and also so much more on a technical point of view. I believe that the space for digital arts to incorporate found objects is new to the local contemporary scene. We would like to thank all those who didn't believe in our project. They were various; public and private entities. They demotivat- ed us yet, though this may sound like empty rhetoric, certain at- titudes made us stronger. Luck- ily, some gentlemen like Mauro Gasan from Petite Events, Mario Bonello from ITC, Ron Mifsud from Impressions Ltd and James Baldacchino and Yasmin Kuymi- zakis from SeeSaw Sounds made a hell of a difference. Not to men- tion Antoine Farrugia from the Akkademja Kulturali Pawlina, who was there all the way. What do you make of the local visual arts scene? What would you change about it? There's quite a strong scene at the moment, especially with the advent of the Valletta Interna- tional Visual Arts Festival and its satellite projects. The Cura- torial School set up by the Val- letta 2018 Foundation, of which I make part, was indeed a bril- liant idea that is promoting that important element for all kind of arts. We are very lucky to have some very interesting and mo- tivated people at the right place at the moment. Even though I still find that the local govern- ment still doesn't rank culture at the top of its agenda, I find that some people 'down there' are doing some really good 'dirty work' to motivate the cultural sector into new levels. Education and art cannot be kept distant and children should be learning through art – in its widest form. Our students should be taught to be critical and to 'read' art criti- cally. Much needs to be done yet a lot is being done already. Let's keep positive. What's next for you? A good shower, a short nap and some last touches to the exhi- bition space before the private viewing tonight. On an artistic level, I'm looking at ways to help my art travel, not just through the exciting social media chan- nels but in a more tangible and physical way too. I'm always on the lookout for collaborations yet apart from that, I never plan my 'camino'. Art will take me places… and that's very good. Her Majesty will remain on dis- play at the Akkademja Kulturali Pawlina, Archbishop Street, Val- letta until June 26. For more in- formation log on to hermajesty. info Mizzi says he appreciates the 'grungy' set-up of the Akkademja Kulturali Pawlina in Valletta, for the Her Majesty exhibition

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