It's that wonderful time of the year again, when I have the privilege of curating another major exhibition by Darren Tanti. The exhibition, titled Apotheosis, is being held at the Oratories of the Jesuit Church in Valletta, and is organised by the Valletta Cultural Agency in collaboration with the Jesuits Church Foundation.
The title of this article is a conundrum. Of course, there's no exact guide on how to reach apotheosis. But through the exhibition Apotheosis, the artist is providing the visitors with some subtle and less subtle hints on what is deterring us from reaching this godly status.
The myth or reality of apotheosis has a long history with examples and tales that hail back to Greek mythology and to different religions. Tanti is tackling the subject from a contemporary and a Roman Catholic perspective, for two reasons which provide important contexts within which to understand these artworks. Firstly, the artist is a Roman Catholic practitioner (and quite a fervent one) and secondly, the exhibition spaces - two adjacent oratories, forming part of the Jesuit Church complex - where the artist is creating a beautiful conversation with the artworks of a more classical nature which belong to these two exhibition spaces and the spiritual essence of the oratories themselves.
Apotheosis is the glorification or change in status to rise to a divine level or to reach the likeliness of a deity. Unfortunately, it is quite an impossible feat and the artist created a series of works all pointing out, in some way or another, why and what is hindering our ability to achieve this "holy grail". This exhibition marks a significant departure from Tanti's established hyperrealist painting style. Renowned for his mastery of hyperrealism, Tanti takes a bold step forward in his artistic journey, building upon the groundwork laid in his previous major exhibition, Inaction is a weapon of mass destruction (2022), where he ventured into the realm of sculpture for the first time.
In this latest exhibition, the artist takes an even more radical departure from traditional 2D painting. The showcased artworks predominantly consist of sculptures and objet d'art, incorporating unconventional elements such as neon tubes and Perspex. These pieces often stand as independent installations that collectively form a unified exhibition. The result is an unconventional body of work that, while firmly rooted in contemporary artistry, exhibits a fascinating blend of traditional religious art with Pop Art elements.
Tanti did extensive research on all the subjects tackled in each artwork, from the detailed design of specific WWII bombs to specific planes to the expected fish to be found in the sea of Galilee and the type of fishing nets for the aforementioned fish, the representation of angels, particularly the seraphim, and the replication of deadly land mines. He also delved into the art of flower arrangement and embroidery. He used different media to fabricate these objet d'art / installations - all meticulously executed to mind-boggling detail.
The installation Souls and Beatification is composed of sculptures or hybrid artworks, portraying stunning busts sporting very pop halos and executed in extremely different styles both in the attire of the "clothing" as well as in the artistic style used. One of the souls shows a tour-de-force in an amply decorated ensemble, where the top part of the robe that the figure is wearing is made up of an elaborate baroque gold cage-like dress, adorned with a cherub on each shoulder - creating a direct link with the artwork Deadly crown and heavenly skies. Under this "cage" the viewer can appreciate a semi-hidden heart and another gilded "cage" is covering the back part of the head, showing the brain within its concealment. To top it up, the adorning Perspex halo is made up of a complex pattern which is also lit up. The final appearance is a very cyberpunk-ish one, highlighted mostly by the clips or raw golden rods that Tanti used to assemble all the parts, hinting to some hybrid creature from the Garden of earthly delights by Hieronymus Bosch.
Another soul, at first glance, looks more at peace, but upon looking more closely one realizes there are tears wetting her cheeks. She could be wearing a medieval robe, hinted by the only visible part of the robe - a golden brocade, going around the shoulders and the modest cleavage. Tanti added costume jewelry to this soul, and created a disturbing contrast between nature and technology, thanks to the three cables jutting out of the soul's dainty neck. The lit halo is plainer here but still screams Pop, thanks to the unexpected ice blue colour.
A number of works are based on religious artifacts and Tanti gives them a pop or contemporary twist. By doing this, the artist is finding subtler and intriguing ways to send the message home, regarding the many ways that we are verging away from achieving divinisation. Death is present in most of the artworks, through the use of war paraphernalia, like replica bombs embellished in baroque motifs, to Land of mine where the artist is again giving a pop vibe to an exact replica of a deadly land mine. He is more subtle in the work Flower glass domes, where in beautiful ganutell flower arrangements - normally present in churches to adorn statues of saints - Tanti is smuggling war accouterments within the innocent flowers.
In the artwork Panzerfaust - Candelabra the interplay between war artifacts and religious artifacts is ingenious. A curious physical resemblance exists between the anti-tank handheld warhead known as the panzerfaust (literally "tank fist" in German) and the elegant candelabra. Despite their disparate purposes, both serve as symbols of protection. The panzerfaust is a formidable weapon designed to combat armored tanks, defending against mechanised threats. On the other hand, the candelabra, adorned with candles, serves as a means to offer praise to the divine and protect against malevolent forces. This unexpected parallel underscores the diverse ways in which human creativity and ingenuity can manifest in the pursuit of safeguarding what we hold dear - whether it be physical security against military threats or spiritual protection in our reverence for higher powers, and Tanti literally is using this parallel aspect in this artwork where he is alternating church candles and panzerfaust, displayed in parallel, next to each other.
Other works are tackling the subject of environmental disasters which are the direct result of human greed. Pelican is a work showing the priest's chasuble adorned with a pelican in mid-flight, in all its glory, but covered and tarnished with dark oil. While the artwork Fish portrays a contrasting "catch of the day" where two fishing nets are suspended in mid-air, one contains a healthy catchment, while the other shows a deadly catch of fish drowned in oil and other garbage. The inspiration comes from the verse in the New Testament: Matthew 4:19 - And He said to them, "Follow Me [as My disciples, accepting Me as your Master and Teacher and walking the same path of life that I walk], and I will make you fishers of men".
Tanti's special interest in horses within his art is present here as well, this time in the form of a reinterpretation of the Horses of the Apocalypse, for which he creates a complete diorama. This installation hints at humanity's final judgment, a judgment that perhaps will be based on all the data collected by the installation Big Brother where a number of "monitoring" devices are constantly stalking our every movement - from Echo and audio to Every word you say and Eye in the sky. And then the lucky ones who'll make it, can proceed to Follow the light and experience a virtual ascension to heaven, via this installation.
In using various media and styles, like the inclusion of the Baroque, the Cyberpunk, the Pop, and in creating this conversation with the sacred and spiritual space within classical architecture, Tanti is giving us an eclectic yet still very harmonious large-scale installation of works of art that change their nature depending on the point of view from which they are experienced. Nevertheless, the message remains a valid one that can transcend the passage of time and eras.
While these works are open for interpretation, my personal understanding is that in general we are experiencing a loss in faith and in that loss, we do not know who we should fear and we are not sure what to fear ... and maybe we fear nothing and perhaps we fear everything.
The exhibition 'Apotheosis' by Darren Tanti, organised by the Valletta Cultural Agency in collaboration with the Jesuits Church Foundation, is held at the Oratories of the Jesuit Church, Valletta, until 9 January.