Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/803478
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 26 MARCH 2017 16 YANNICK PACE THE seemingly haphazard way in which monuments are being planned and erected in Valletta could trivialise the significance of other monuments and diminish the capital's surrounding architectural herit- age, several experts who spoke with Mal- taToday have warned. Last week, the government unveiled a new monument at Castile Square, to a flurry of mixed reviews. In a statement, the Office of the Prime Minister said the monument, called A Flame That Never Dies, honours the "Maltese nation's long road to taking control of its own destiny after centuries of foreign rule." It added that this journey had now culminated in Malta finding itself "behind the wheel" of the Presidency of the European Council. Much of the debate about the monument has been centred around its price tag – the sculpture reportedly set taxpayers back some €112,000 – as well as whether people find the installation to be to their personal liking. Art experts, however, are raising other issues. "Do we need to have monuments in prime locations in Valletta, for events or vague symbolisms that can by no stretch of the imagination be deemed milestones in our history?" asked Conrad Thake, an architect and history of art professor at the University of Malta. "There is a risk of trivialising the signifi- cance of a monument if we erect countless of them in our public spaces." The lack of consultation with experts re- mains a major gripe. "It is explicitly evident that the experts are not being consulted or, are being ig- nored. We have people trained in such areas of knowledge and yet more unnec- essary and incredibly costly sculptures are being produced. That such standards are accepted is the worst part of it all," says Nikki Petroni, a PhD candidate studying Modern and Contemporary Maltese art. While it may seem somewhat intuitive that multiple monuments spread over a relatively small area could diminish the importance of each one, if the space hous- ing them is designed in a holistic manner, multiple monuments can easily "coexist", Petroni says. "Upper Barrakka is a wonderful example of how several monuments and sculptures from different periods, showing a variety of subject matter and idioms, can shape a public space," she says. Similarly, Floriana Mall Gardens host a sizeable number of monuments, while managing to maintain a "harmonious" layout unlike Castile Square, says Petroni. "[It] seems to be developing into a space for haphazardly-placed mediocre monu- ments." "I suspect we are erecting monuments à la mode to prove to ourselves and the in- ternational community that our authori- ties and artists are on a par with the rest of the world," argued broadcaster Dr Charles Xuereb, whose interest in the spatial poli- tics of monuments is given wider berth in his book 'France in the Maltese Collec- tive Memory – Perspectives, Perceptions, Identities after Bonaparte in British Mal- ta'. Xuereb says that since Malta gained in- dependence from the British Empire, suc- cessive governments have erected monu- ments in Valletta almost at random. "[The] Sette Giugno [monument] for example is now its rightful place [in St. George's Square] whereas on the periphery it was an insult. Inversely, in Valletta we have a mausoleum for Alexander Ball, who exiled [Mikiel Anton] Vassalli, our foremost po- litical hero, but we do not have a monu- ment for Vassalli in his own country," says Xuereb. "Similar to Vassalli, one could also men- tion La Valette, the founder of the city who, since 2012, has been relegated to an area where he is dwarfed by all around him," he added. The flame monument has elicited some controversy because of its abstract na- ture, which necessitates some explanation to understand the message it attempts to convey. This raises the question of whether abstract works can effectively commemo- rate a person or event. Thake insisted this reasoning misses the point. "One cannot arbitrarily state that figu- rative models should be preferable to abstract forms," he says. "Any kind of monument should be able to engage with the viewer on an emotional and intellec- tual level. The measure of the success of a monument, be it abstract or figurative, is the level of engagement and stimulus that it elicits from the viewer." Similarly, Giuseppe Bonaci, a senior lec- turer in history of art at the University of Malta, says that "commemorating an event or a person can be beautifully achieved in whatever style or form, as long as it is bril- liantly done." For Xuereb, the use of abstract art in public spaces requires one "to gauge the culture of the community rather than that of the artist, or whoever is paying for the monument." "The physical addition of a monument quickly becomes part of the new environ- ment but the level of the social message it parts is also relative to how much it ex- presses the general sentiment of the public it is addressing," he argued. The politics of monument building A monument can be defined as a build- ing, statue, or other structure erected to commemorate a notable person or event. "They shape public spaces and define our common surroundings," Petroni says. "Their purpose is to interfere with our his- torical, political, and physical perception of space and to make us think," she added, News As the 'Flame' and its marking of a new political milestone fuels debate on the haphazard monument planning, experts warn how Valletta risks being trivialised 'A Flame That Will Never Die' by Valerio Schembri was commisioned by Heritage Malta on request of the Office of the Prime Minister Art of combustion The Laparelli- Cassar monument pays tribute to the architects of the capital city but does its 'abstract' composition relate naturally to the subject? Architect Valerio Schembri "There is a risk of trivialising the significance of a monument if we erect countless of them in our public spaces" Conrad Thake "The [Flame] is nonsensical, says nothing and bears no meaning despite the attempts to impose a subject on it" Nikki Petroni "Monuments are an essential part of the myth-sustaining process which is essential for all national identity" Giuseppi Schembri Bonaci