Art and the essential need to question our most intimate personal and collective identity
The concept behind Wiċċ Imb Wiċċ emerged during reflective discussions with curator Melanie Erixon in 2020. We revisited an earlier project from my time at the University of Malta, where I explored constructing digital portraits through layered depictions of the same face. However, this iteration carried a new urgency, informed by the unprecedented disruptions of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The pandemic altered every facet of our lives, challenging how we connect, experience intimacy, and define our collective and personal identities. Against this backdrop, I initiated The (Facebook) Portrait Project II – Fading Social Distancing on December 27, 2020. It was a global experiment in collective portraiture, inviting individuals to share their digital likenesses and reflections on social distancing. The response was overwhelming—363 participants from diverse backgrounds contributed to the project, symbolically capturing humanity’s universal yearning for connection.
Each group of ten participants was represented through a unique digital portrait, created by re-appropriating their Facebook profile pictures. These portraits blurred the boundaries between personal and collective identities, sparking conversations on how isolation reshaped our social fabric. Participants used the platform to share their thoughts on social distancing, creating a mosaic of perspectives that reflected both the challenges and resilience of the human spirit.
The resulting thirty-seven portraits were reproduced on aluminium dibond and showcased at Il-Kamra ta’ Fuq in Mqabba during my third solo exhibition in April 2021. This project invited viewers to question: Who are we when we come together? How do we make sense of connection in a world defined by distance?
Dr Alex Grech, an expert in social sciences and digital culture, provided valuable insights into the project’s deeper implications. He highlighted the duality of social media as a space for connection and performance, noting how it has both amplified and fragmented our identities. His reflections underscored the paradox of seeking validation within the collective while navigating the blurred boundaries of selfhood.
In 2024, Wiċċ Imb Wiċċ took on a new life when I was invited to participate in Natale ConNoi, an international exhibition in Naples. Hosted at the historic Church of San Giorgio Maggiore, the event was a fundraiser for CasaBalena, a residency for children. A selection of twelve works from the series were recontextualised to explore themes of peace, unity, and the human need for togetherness. This exhibition offered an opportunity to reflect on how art can transcend its origins and contribute to broader conversations about connection and solidarity in times of disruption.
While the original exhibition at Il-Kamra ta’ Fuq has long concluded, the themes explored in Wiċċ Imb Wiċċ remain profoundly relevant. The project continues to evolve, inviting audiences to consider the ways we forge connection and collective identity in an ever-changing world.
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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
