MARLANDS is a newly funded contemporary art project that brings together artists and scholars exploring issues related to the art, cultural history and ecology of the Mediterranean Islands, promoting their harmonious coexistence. The exhibition is constructed through several experiences which shed light on aspects that are part of the identity and issues of the unique, natural and cultural environment of Mediterranean islands.
On-site artistic residencies took place during October 2022 in Malta, Sicily, Mallorca, Cyprus, and Ibiza. Throughout this period, selected artists and participants began their creative processes by developing and enriching their art projects with the native islanders' impressions. The residency artists Max Fouchy, Edgar Sarin, Olga Sabko, Klitsa Antoniou, and Lucy Orta met with scientists, craftsmen, and the hosting institution teams on-site to develop their artworks under the guidance of the consortium of the project. This consortium is formed by a broad range of agencies, consisting of Valencia Catholic University - Imedmar Scientific Laboratory, Art Made Cultural Association, Tree Opino Group, Spazju Kreattiv, Cyprus University of Technology, Es Baluard Museum, Isola Catania or El Saler Botanical Garden. The project also counts on the support of the European Union.
Edgar Sarin, who spent his residency in Malta, is a painter and sculptor from Paris. His work is based on the willingness to address the most pressing problem on the Mediterranean islands, which is water scarcity. More specifically, how to manage water and how to reuse it. He draws references to the importance of water supplies on islands in general, as well as the establishment of a distinct culture centred on their consumption: from legendarily beautiful amphorae to rainwater collection facilities. Ba'al's work is a rainwater collector. It is made of local materials such as handmade ceramics, corrugated iron, and wood. Edgar found inspiration for his creative work at the local National Museum of Archaeology which provided him with a spectacular collection of the islands' historical artefacts. To learn more about the Maltese historical water systems, Edgar Sarin visited Casa Rocca Piccola, a 16th-century palace in Valletta, and the underground cisterns. To influence his work, "Ba'al", from a scientific point of view, Edgar Sarin met local academic Dr Reuben Grima from the Department of Conservation & Built Heritage at the University of Malta, who contributed with archaeological references for water catchment.
The outcome of these fruitful conversations with islanders specialising in craft, culture, and science will be exhibited at Spazju Kreattiv from the 1st of December 2022 up until the 8th of January 2023. This exhibition, which is curated by Elena Posokhova and Vince Briffa, will not only include Edgar's immersive, multi-layered art project, but also pieces by Lucy Orta, who completed a residency in the Balearic Islands, Max Fouchy, who visited Sicily, and Sheldon Saliba, who lives in Malta. A workshop will also be held on the 17 December which will be led by local contemporary multi-disciplinary artist Victor Agius based on the concept by the artist Lucy Orta. Here, audiences will get to know and appreciate the important economic uses of the Corallium rubrum that has unfortunately undergone great harm due to damaging harvesting methods. During this time, they will also get the chance to transform balls of clay into broken coral branches giving them their own distinguished shape.
As stated by Curator Elena Posokhova, "the short art residencies and subsequent travelling exhibitions of the MARLANDS project aim to question and raise awareness about the islands, which, being part of the Mediterranean, permeate human imagination and thinking, and highlight the need for more specific action." Additionally, such a project pushes people to learn new things and share their experiences. It also encourages collaborative artistic work which, in this case, resulted in the appreciation of the uniqueness of each island. The importance of this project also lies in transmitting the newly gained knowledge beyond the intended region of these islands.
The Artistic Director of Spazju Kreattiv, Daniel Azzopardi, stated that "such ventures provide the opportunity for prosperous exchanges between Maltese and international creatives while consolidating our organisation's role as a key cultural stakeholder in the Euro-Mediterranean region."
For more information visit www.kreattivita.org.