As part of the ZVART (Zaren Vassallo Art Initiative) a painting by local visual artist Rupert Cefai named 'Past, Present, Future' was unveiled at the inauguration of Vassallo Group's new reception at the Head Office in Mosta. The initiative was launched last December as part of the Group's 75th Anniversary celebrations with the aim of adding more art pieces to Vassallo Group's properties while also supporting local talent.
During the event, Vassallo Builders CEO Jonathan Buttigieg mentioned that he had been thinking about a work of art for the occasion before the inception of ZVART and explained the planning and commissioning process. This involved sharing and developing ideas with the Executive Committee to find the perfect work of art for the founding company and its rich 75 year history. The painting's location was to be an integral part of the design of the new reception and aimed to give people a brief glance at our history whenever they passed by.
Group Chairman Nazzareno Vassallo unveiled the ZVART and Rupert Cefai explained the concept of the painting which was inspired by the story of a young boy whose first business experience was selling eggs. The painting is in three pieces separately representing the group's roots from the past, it's evolution to the present and looking forward to the yet unwritten future. The shapes depict the negative space one would see when looking at a basket of eggs, and the materials used include stone, concrete and steel respectively representing the past, present and future.
The stone was obtained with permission from The Danish Village, an important milestone project for the group back in the 1970s, which was then cut down and worked into dust by our Masons for Rupert to use with his paints. Fresh concrete from the Campus Hub and Vassallo Business Park projects was cast into blocks, allowed to cure and then cut by our Shutterers and Steelfixers with the resulting slurry being dried into a powder which was then mixed into the paint. Our blacksmiths cut raw steel plates according to templates provided by Rupert which would be incorporated into the work of art. The Joinery division prepared the structure of the 4 meter wide painting as well as other shapes made from wood, while the Plant and Scaffolding divisions symbolically contributed by providing logistical support and the wall mountings respectively.
A number of paintings and sculptures have been chosen by the companies within the group and are now on display in various locations and properties belonging to the group while a number of pieces are still to be unveiled later on this year.