ISSUE 2
THE CITY SQUARE
The artist's meeting place by Dora Alden on February 10, 2010
It is a public holiday today in Malta, and still February -hence for us Maltese it is the middle of winter and so the day is cool and wet from time to time. Still the sun manages to come out in between these spardonic showers. For this reason I have been forced to take shelter inside my favourite cafe on the city square - I sit at the cafe bar opposite the street and watch the world go by. As it sits in my hands, my coffee is invitingly hot and the froth is just right. The place is filled with the sound of chatter and the clinking of plates. There is a lovely smell of toasted sandwiches and freshly brewed coffees. Maybe I ll get something to eat but on second thoughts I think I'll skip the peacake today as I have to get used to the Lenten fast next week and of course it would do me good to starve off some fats for a change.
Looking out towards the Cordina entrance, people are starting to gather for an on-foot tour of Valletta. They huddle close under small umbrellas and I wonder if they will visit the Armoury and St. John's Co Cathedral once again today? The most popular Valletta tours are planned in this way, leaving tourists little time to really absorb what else this beautiful city has to offer. This month is especially good for exhibitions - my opinion of course. Still I have to say that the most fabulous exposition is at the Chinese Cultural Institute in Melita Street entitled a 'Collection of Oil Paintings by Contemporary Chinese Students' - I am totally excited by what I have seen here and am convinced it deserves first standing on my agenda for this month. It opens to the public on 19th February and remains open until 31st March 2010. After a thorough search on the internet I finally found some relevant material issued by the institute, but not enough is written here to describe this wonderful exhibition. The write up can be viewed below in the art events' list. The exhibition is definitely a do not miss event and the other best thing is it's FREE.
ART EVENTS
WHEN: 12.02.2010 - 14.03.2010
EVENT TITLE Upon Arrival: Spatial Exploration
WHERE: St James Cavalier - Valletta
TYPE: Exhibitions
EVENT DESCRIPTION:
Upon Arrival: Spatial Exploration - This exhibition by Austrian artists investigates architectural and social spaces. Curated by Margit Neuhold, works by Veronika Hauer, Nikola Hansalik, Nicole Six & Paul Petritsch, Andreas Heller, Sabine Bitter & Helmut Weber, Michael Gumhold and Gerald Straub. Time: Monday & Tuesday 09:00 hrs - 17:00 hrs, Wednesday to Friday 09:00 hrs - 21:00 hrs, Saturday, Sunday and public holidays 10:00 hrs - 21:00hrs.
________________________________________
4 February
Marc England at St. James Cavalier in Valletta
Marc England will be exhibiting his paintings in the main hall of St. James Cavalier in Valletta. The Exhibition, to be inaugurated by Prof. Serracino Inglott, will be opened on the 25th of March and will run until the 9th of May 2010.
The subjects of his work are mostly Churches in Malta and Gozo. Although this subject has been treated on countless occasions by other artists, Marc manages to give his churches a particular ethereal and mystical veil of gothic solemnity, that seperates them from any other style. Whether his tints and tones are subdued, or whether contrasted with explosive colour, both are equally imposing and dramatic. He has indeed developed a unique and individual technique that is highly recognizable.
________________________________________
14 February
Fragments of Tibet Photographic exhibition
An exhibition by Aaron Micallef between the 14th February and 21st March 2010 at the Malta Maritime Museum, Vittoriosa.
When Tibet opened its doors to the rest of the world in the 1950s, a remarkable civilisation with a vibrant culture and profound spiritual traditions emerged. Tibetan arts and culture form a valuable part of the world’s heritage; they draw their value from Mahayana Buddhism, and they have been shaped by the remoteness of the Tibetan territory and the climatic and environmental conditions of the Himalayas. The Tibet Society Malta, in collaboration with Heritage Malta and the Norbulingka Institute, is organising a photographic exhibition entitled ‘Fragments of Tibet’. Our aim is to share with you a unique and rich heritage that is being preserved in Tibetan refugee communities in India.
________________________________________
17 February
________________________________________
19 February
EXHIBITION -
Collection of Oil Paintings of Contemporary Chinese Students -
February 19th - March 31st
Venue: China Cultural CentrePeople may think that oil painting in China has merely a 100-year history. In fact, the first oil painting was introduced to China in 1579 when Western missionaries came to spread Christianity. They not only brought the paintings of the Christ but also sowed the seeds of oil painting in China. Over 400
years, Chinese oil painting has gone through shocks and conflicts between the native culture and foreign trends of thoughts and stood up to the social transformation and historical changes. Compared to the past, contemporary Chinese oil painting has been localized and become a prominent part in the oil painting circles around the world.
It is really hard trying to know the yesterday, today, and future development of the arts of a certain nation in a short period of time. However, an exhibition of paintings by graduates from the academies of fine arts may provide us an easy and unique access to that result. Creations of these graduates reflect the tradition as well as the future development of the arts in their country. As the works of art graduates display the quality of the art education of their country, they also, to some extent, prove the country’s accomplishments and consolidate its position in the global realm of arts. For an individual artist, his graduation works are not only the first height of his creativity but also an explosive expression of his personal talent. More often than not, those works become his masterpieces and even help build his reputation in his career, therefore attract the attention of both critics and collectors.
“The Collection of Oil Paintings of Contemporary Chinese Students” is organized just for this purpose. It consists of 60 excellent pieces by talented graduates from the prestigious academies of fine arts in China created over the past 2 years. Some of those outstanding young artists are most likely to become the future leaders of the art world in China. In this regard, this exhibition provides a glimpse of the prospects and future development of oil painting in China.
Entrance is free. Visitors are warmly welcome.
________________________________________
23.01.2010 - 28.02.2010
Marc Penninc de Landas
Valletta Exhibitions
05.02.2010 - 27.02.2010
Silver Palette Competition/Exhibition
Valletta Exhibitions
06.02.2010 - 14.02.2010
Exhibition of Art / Family Coat of Arms
Mosta Exhibitions
12.02.2010 - 28.02.2010
Confluenze Mediterranee
Valletta Exhibitions
12.02.2010 - 14.03.2010
Upon Arrival: Spatial Exploration
Valletta Exhibitions
14.02.2010 - 21.03.2010
Fragments of Tibet
Vittoriosa Exhibitions
27.02.2010 - 04.04.2010
Dreams and Visions
Valletta Exhibitions
________________________________________
22 February -
Los fantasmas de Goya – a Spanish film by Milos Forman - Spanish Cultural Centre, Valletta. – 6.30 p.m.
________________________________________
Interesting site of the month:
1. Old Street Plan of Valletta
http://cilialacorte.com/Valletta%20Street%20Names.htm
2. Noel Galea Bason (born 1955 – Floriana, Malta)
Trained as a Coin and medal engraver at the "Scuola dell'Arte della Medaglia" at the State Mint in Rome. He has designed and engraved over 60 coins including a 10 coin set for the Republic of San Marino and the Malta Euro Coin set. Galea Bason has exhibited his bronze relief sculpture in Malta, England, Portugal, Yugoslavia and France. His work may be found in several collections including the British Museum.
He is regularly commissioned by the Presidency of Malta to create gifts for visiting Heads of State such as HM Queen Elizabeth II, HE President Mario Soares of Portugal, HH Pope John Paul II and HRH Juan Carlos of Spain
http://noelgaleabason.com/
http://grandmastersofmalta.com/
Quote of the month
the true work of art is but a shadow of the divine perfection.
::: Michelangelo :::
