When I was still very young, one of my most beloved places was Xlendi bay. Although I have never been a permanent resident of Xlendi, I feel as if I grew up in this place. When I came to choose a title for my dissertation for my Bachelor of Arts degree in Fine Arts within the Department of Art and Art History, University of Malta, it did not take me long to choose Xlendi as the subject and inspiration for my artistic project. My visual project, titled Xlendi today: Artistic engagements, supervised by Dr Mark Sagona, focused on three main objectives: the production of a multimedia artistic experience which engages with the state of Xlendi today; make the viewer ponder on unusual and innovative viewpoints of Xlendi and raise awareness on the importance of preserving the last vestiges of beauty at this seaside town. The project was last month shown at The Splendid in an exhibition organised by the Department of Art and Art History and the Strada Stretta Concept (Valletta Cultural Agency), which is under the artistic direction of Prof. Giuseppe Schembri Bonaci.
‘Riding Mamo's Door snail’, 2021, mixed media collage, 60 x 80cm
A sample of 29 paintings of Xlendi, executed by both foreign and local artists, were analysed to examine the artistic interpretations of this locality during the last 150 years. These included artists who are significant to Malta's art history, such as British artist Edward Lear, Italian artist Egidio Tonti and other renowned local artists such as Giovanni Schranz, Salvatore Busuttil and Anton Inglott. Other contemporary artists, important to the local artistic scene, whose works were also analysed included Richard England, Pawl Carbonaro and Kenneth Zammit Tabona, among many others.
This research clearly showed that these artists depicted Xlendi mostly through a conservative rappel à l'ordre mentality. Furthermore, rather than presenting the usual landmarks of Xlendi depicted against idealised sunsets and pristine natural beauty, this project lays bare the raw contemporary reality of Xlendi's topography through six different media. For instance, one of the retro-surreal collages demonstrates how natural environmental aspects within Xlendi today are being threatened. This collage features American actress Rita Hayworth, a prominent personality of the 1940s. She is riding a snail, endemic to Xlendi, called Mamo's Door snail. This endangered snail is thus being linked to the long-gone actress, highlighting the enticing but delicate natural environment of this location.
‘The Fishermen and the Storm’, 2021, monotype, 25 x 30cm
Alongside collages, monotypes were another type of media employed in this visual project. A dark monochromatic palette was chosen to evoke a sense of sublimity and nostalgia. These monotypes were executed through a romanticist approach with the primary aim of showing the vastness of Xlendi's cliffs and the sheer power of nature vis-à-vis the insignificance of human beings who are systematically outlived by these ancient but delicate elements. The dark, powerful tones of the violent drama raging across the stormy seas that batter Xlendi's rocky coast at night further enhanced this sublimity.
The visual project also includes photomontages which serve as a time machine representing how fishermen managed to support their families by working in the then perilous fishing trade in this small harbour and how people would spend their holidays at this peaceful bay. The same photos reveal the drastic transition that this idyllic location has undergone in the last 100 years. Therefore, the rationale underpinning these perfectly aligned photomontages is to give viewers a glimpse of the differences and the similarities between Xlendi of the past and Xlendi of today.
Mixed media paintings also formed part of this project. Two of these mixed media paintings were executed in a harmony of analogous colours resulting in ton-sur-ton compositions, which bring out the nostalgic element of Xlendi. Meanwhile, the third and largest of the three paintings was executed using a complementary colour palette, which served to present a contemporary and dynamic depiction of a contemporary Xlendi. Moreover, it showed how unwarranted accretions contributed to the deterioration of Xlendi's topography.
‘Idyllic #1’, 2021, mixed media on canvas, 100 x 120cm
As aforementioned, numerous news reports and social media posts have warned about the uncontrolled urban development that is irrevocably changing the aesthetics and character of Xlendi. However, to the best of my knowledge, this message has not been previously conveyed through the visual arts with specific reference to the locality of Xlendi. This project comprises artworks that expose the fragility of certain endemic species, the demise of traditional fishing, the end of social heritage and the uglification spurred by urban overdevelopment within this bay. On the other hand, some other works within this project show that not all is lost and that Xlendi still manages to evoke a sense of tranquility and peace in its visitors.
I would like to thank my supervisor, Dr Sagona and all lecturers at the Department of Art and Art History, particularly the head of Department Prof. Keith Sciberras and the Fine Arts programme coordinator, Prof. Schembri Bonaci, for their guidance and support. The B.A. in Fine Arts offered by the Department of Art and Art History is highly commendable for anyone who is artistically inclined to broaden their artistic knowledge and capabilities.
This project was displayed at Splendid, Strada Stretta, Valletta as part of the exhibition Strada Stretta Occupy by Students, which was held last month. It was organised by the Department of Art and Art History, University of Malta and The Strada Stretta Concept, as part of the Valletta Cultural Agency 2021 programme, in collaboration with the Societa' Dante Alighieri.