Project Category: Art

In the course of dialogues with curator Melanie Erixon in the year 2020, the notion of revisiting a previous research venture resurfaced. This particular concept, initially explored during my tenure at the University of Malta, entailed the construction of digital portraits composed of multiple layers depicting the same visage. However, this time around, Ms. Erixon proposed a captivating twist – infusing the concept with the disruptive essence of the relentless Covid-19 pandemic. The stringent limitations imposed upon our social fabric and individual realities have undeniably reshaped our lives in profound and far-reaching ways. This unprecedented crisis, with its transformative power, has irrevocably altered our very manner of existence—how we nourish ourselves, how we forge connections, how we experience intimacy, how we breathe life into our senses as innately human beings. As actors thrust onto the stage of this turbulent saga, we find ourselves confronted with the audacious demand to sever our ties, to renounce our very humanity. In the midst of such turmoil, our collective and personal identities are shaken to their core, leaving us adrift in a sea of doubt.

In the past week, I have had the privilege of engaging in a profound exchange of reflections regarding this artistic endeavor with my esteemed confidant and expert in the field of social sciences, Dr Alex Grech. It was he who eloquently reminded me of the prevailing entrapment that befalls many in our present era—the pervasive allure and ensnarement within the digital realms of social media platforms: “We are dependent on their affordances to navigate our sociality and mediate our identities. In our love affair with Silicon Valley, we have gone from the early innocence of private horizontal exchanges with those we know in the offline world to the spectacle of online performance: we watch, lurk, comment, troll, cancel, share and wait for others to acknowledge our existence. We are all in this together – including those who watch over us and harvest our data for their private means. In the process, we explore, destroy and renew our personas, from completely anonymous  to the mundanely familiar.”

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The inception of The (Facebook) Portrait Project II – Fading Social Distancing Facebook group marked a pivotal moment on Sunday, 27th December 2020, as an invitation was extended to individuals from various corners of the world. This call beckoned them to engage in a profound social experiment centered around the concept of collective portraiture, symbolically capturing the universal yearning for connection. Within this virtual gathering, the boundaries between the personal and the public realms blurred, presenting a striking juxtaposition.

By the designated end-of-year deadline, an impressive total of 363 individuals, both directly and indirectly invited, heeded the call and participated in this endeavor. As a testament to their collective contribution, a distinctive ‘portrait’ was crafted for every group of ten consecutive members, achieved through the ingenious re-appropriation of their respective Facebook profile pictures. Subsequently, participants were encouraged to utilize the platform provided by the group, sharing their reflections and reactions on the subjects of social distancing and the innate human longing for physical closeness. This collective dialogue served to illuminate the prevailing atmosphere that governs our shared human experience.

All thirty-seven intricately woven portraits were meticulously reproduced onto aluminum dibond, forming the centerpiece of my eagerly anticipated third solo exhibition at Il-Kamra ta’ Fuq in Mqabba, with the unveiling scheduled for the date of April 17th.

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Alex was intrigued with participants agreeing to share and redefine their own identity with the artist and others: “The pandemic has forced us to remove the final vestige of humanity in the offline world and into social distancing. We are slowly being deprived of our seven basic senses, for our own good. We are masked and yet connected, peering into our screens, trying make sense of what we are, and what we may yet become. Our lives are disrupted, but social media will yet be our salvation and keep us safe from ourselves and unknown others. Won’t it?”

As an undercurrent of narcissism pervades, prompting many to seek validation and a sense of belonging within the collective, this endeavor delves into a profound exploration of the self, transcending the idealized perception we hold of ourselves. Within the unsettling amalgamation of the collective, identities become blurred or even completely obscured. Each artwork poses the fundamental questions: “Who are you? Who are we? What is unfolding within us?” The monumental challenge lies in finding coherence amidst this intricate tapestry and discerning the ultimate beneficiary of our unwavering dedication to this pursuit.

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The exhibition WIĊĊ IMB WIĊĊ will be open at Il-Kamra ta’ Fuq between April 27 and May 18 and can be visited strictly by appointment. You can make a booking or purchase an artwork by sending an email to info@artsweven.com or contact Art Sweven, Il-Kamra ta’ Fuq or the artist on info@pawlumizzi.com. All artworks are limited edition of three and selling at €125.

WIĊĊ IMB WIĊĊ is being curated by Melanie Erixon from Artsweven.

External Links

25 April 2021 – The intimacy among strangers – Joseph Agius, Times of Malta

22 April 2021 – Interview for Illum ma’ Steph

16 April 2021 – Interview for Meander

7 April 2021 – Interview for Maltarti

30 December 2020 – A social exercise of portrait creation, The Times of Malta

Live Exhibition walk through by ARTZ ID

This captivating portrait teeters on the edge of abstraction, featuring a young woman in profile with bold, contrasting hues that imbue the composition with depth and complexity. The use of alternating white brushstrokes and black splashes and daubs creates a dynamic interplay of light and shadow, drawing the viewer’s eye in a captivating search for revelation. This digital portrait is a work of art, designed to provoke contemplation and reflection in the viewer.

One of the most striking aspects of this artwork is the composition’s handling of the lady’s facial features. The face seems to melt into the brightest area, creating a sense of immersion in a radiant light. The delicate white strokes add a touch of sophistication to the piece, evoking silver linings or shining reflections. Upon closer inspection, it becomes apparent that the artist has sought to capture the psychology of a woman in the throes of transitioning from youth to adulthood. The shifting color palette, moving from the mournful reds to cooler blues and brighter, more hopeful whites, speaks to the complexities of emotional and spiritual growth.

The three limited edition prints of ‘Dak li int’ have found homes in three distinct art collections, two in Malta and one in Ireland, testifying to its universal appeal.

Disconnection with a loved counterpart entails a process of yearning and letting go followed by hope or grief. Lullaby is a work about a state of disconnection, a state of sleep/flux in which the burning fire of desire sleeps but slowly sheds light on unforeseen revelations. The work was greatly inspired by the song Lulluby by American indie rock band Low.

“Cross over and turn

Feel the spot don’t let it burn

We all want we all yearn

Be soft don’t be stern

Lullaby

Was not supposed to make you cry

I sang the words I meant

I sang”

The focal point of this artistic endeavor revolves around the embodiment of feminine grandeur as perceived through the lens of an ardent admirer. Its inception was sparked by an evocative remark stumbled upon on July 27, within the comment section of the “ifwekissed” Instagram profile:

“i got so lost in her details. The shape of her lips. The way her hair falls on her shoulders. The way the light brighten her eyes. The way her smile forms when she looks at me. Didn’t matter who was in the room – she was all I saw.” 

This profound statement starkly juxtaposes the common English idiom “elephant in the room,” which alludes to a weighty subject, question, or contentious matter that is palpable to all, yet meticulously avoided to evade discomfort or unease. Irrespective of any controversy or disquietude, an authentic lover will forever acknowledge and celebrate the resplendence of their beloved.

The creative process was further accompanied by the music Elephant Woman by Blonde Redhead which was discovered on July 27 and which accopanied the conceptual creation of this artwork.

The female figure contemplates her fragile existence by holding and meditating over the suspended life of a plant shoot. Nonetheless, the anemone flower adorning the figure’s head augurs a prosperous future.

This work is inspired by the thematic of Anemone (2016), as a follow up to the Kobba phase and a first move towards new artistic territories.

Action painting on a found photographic image.

Digital portrait of Louise Agius.

Introduction

Kobba is the Maltese word for a clew, a ball of yarn or cord, in our case a ball of red thread that seems infinite but whose beginning and end never come together. The thread flows above the lower layer like a wave that washes on the shore and then retreats to make space for the next, in a never ending cycle. The clew is sown with scorching red stories. One layer above the next, the clew is the experiences and relations that shape us. A continuous red line that starts and finishes in a state of order or confusion, and that, once tangled, becomes impossible to restore.

The Project

A series of digital illustrations through which questions about human relations are revived; questions within ourselves but also outside of our personal realm. Questions that refer to intimacy, romanticism, apathy, bodily greed and human values. This work questions what is it that makes us whole, what we look for within us, and within those who relate to us. The human figure is central to this project, acting as a container, but also as a trigger. The woman, a metaphor for life in all its elements, becomes a model on whose body the red thread flows, slides and tangles to explore these dimensions in human relations.

The red string, flowing orderly or jumbled, is an indicator of direction or confusion. An indicator of journeys that lead us to a discovery of the self and a discovery of those who are close to us. The latter might not be visible, might not exist, might not want to be there or are mere audiences, just like you are.

Just like the red string, these illustrations toured Malta and Gozo in a series of public meetings during which those present were invited to share and discuss their own reactions to the theme. The tour stopped at the following venues starting September 2018 up to March 2019:

• Private viewing 07/09/18: L’Enoteca – Rabat
• 14/19/18: Little Red Door – Valletta
• 28/09/18: Hosted by Mario – Xagħra, Gozo
• 19/10/18: Il-Baxa Café – Rabat
• 02/11/18: Gleneagles Bar – Mġarr, Gozo
• 14/11/18: Tat-Taraġ – Rabat, Malta
• 08/12/18: Hosted by Family Borg Micallef – Lija
• 15/03/19: Hosted by Antoine Farrugia – Mqabba

The Media

• Revealing the layers – Interview for Times of Malta by Adam Brimmer
• The invisible red thread – Feature for Times of Malta
• Pawlu Mizzi – You don’t have to be shy to assert that you’re an artist – Interview for maltachamber.org.mt by Martina Said, also published on The Commercial Courier/81 titled Exploring Connections