A very eclectic art exhibition is currently showing at Galeria Liberte, South Street, Valletta until 5 May. Unlike other exhibitions, the organisers of which invite people over at the beginning of the event, “Very Good Friday”, as the exhibition is called, will be inviting art enthusiasts over for drinks and mints on the evening of 30 April. If you don’t like mints, then you’ll just have to do without, but in the meantime the selection of art is on show for those curious enough to visit.
“Very Good Friday” exhibits the work of seven artists who are diverse in their age, genre, style and quality of work. The youngest artists are in their 20s. The eldest is in his 60s. But Raymond Grima, Jimmy Grima, Eman Grima, Kevin Attard, Josephine Cachia, Jean Paul Azzopardi and Christian Muscat are all well-known artists to those who are in touch with the local art scene. Each of them has his or her own speciality and their work has often sprouted up in various collectives.
Take Raymond Grima. This music composer draws on his musical inspiration to create a colourful interpretation of musical notes, while Jimmy Grima presents a selection of sketches that are geometric yet curious. Eman Grima’s crucifix-like composition is a direct re-interpretation of the exhibition’s title and then there is Kevin Attard, who goes where few artists dare to tread – moving from the land of dainty filigree to the land of the fetish and the gruesome. Josephine Cachia presents a discreet collection of drawings that breeze in with a definite feminine slant in this all-male manifestation. Then Jean Paul Azzopardi – whose work is new to me – well, he takes a spontaneous recycling mode one step further as he creates a mixed media statue that emblazons lace with other matter to confront the viewer with a surprisingly effective artefact. Christian Muscat presents some of his most recent works under the vestiges of the Vexilla Regis exhibition, namely crucifixes with a few rather bizarre inclusions and some titbits and delicacies that just have to be seen.
Why call an exhibition Very Good Friday? Perhaps, because the exhibition was launched in the fervour of the spirit of Easter. Perhaps, because all these artists delved really deeply into the passions that are aroused by the Good Friday processions. Although that holy celebration is over and done with for this year, the artistic re-interpretation in this exhibition is both touching and disturbing. This is a collection of artwork to be seen and studied. It is not saying anything apart from expressing the cruelty of suffering but, then again, each artist to his own interpretation: the stark, the transient, the polite, the contained, the explosive, the uncaring and the tongue-in-cheek. It is up to the viewer to decide which is which.