Primordial is a series of installations by artist Mark Xuereb which is currently open in the bomb shelters of Casa Rocca Piccola, Valletta. It will be open till 11th April from Monday to Saturday from 10am to 4pm.

 

Artist  Mark Xuereb

Curator  George Mario Attard

Technical Consultant  Jonathan Grech aka Ginger

Soundscape  Christopher Scicluna aka Noogs

Marketing Azeegonen Studios

Author & Historian  Nicholas de Piro

Mentors  Vince Caruana and Mario Cassar

 

The exhibition is  supported by Malta Arts Fund, Casa Rocca Piccola, Azeegonen Studios, Michael Grech Financial Investment Services, Ginger Fix It, J Portelli Projects, Vini e Capricci and Ghajnsielem Local Council.

Photography featured is part of an ongoing collaborative project

between the artist and George Mario Attard. (2009-)

Artist Facebook page: Facebook.com/ThirteenthMark

“Primordial is the name chosen for my first solo exhibition and as the name suggests the element of Primitivism and going back to basics was given utmost importance. I did my best to strip away as much of the glittery exterior as possible till I ended up with a body of work which is honest, raw and cuts deep.

This project has been developing for the past 5 years or so and not only were most of the sculptures created during this time frame but also other related activities such as the photography of the artworks and the constant development of the idea occurred too. Not all the sculptures are complete, and some of them can still be developed further, but then again none of my sculptures and paintings are ever complete.

As long as they are within reach they are not safe from my prying hands. They are but a few of the many sculptures that either got destroyed or reworked into new ones. One can say they are survivors which in most cases had to adapt in order to survive. The installations presented in the exhibition with the selected works  are assembled in a way so that  the pieces are at balance with their surroundings, creating a holistic experience throughout the bomb shelter levels. I hope you enjoy the exhibited artworks as much as I enjoyed creating them.” - Mark Xuereb

“I do believe that we do sometimes feel the need of a change from charm and pretty pictures. We want to, and it is good for us to experience the nitty-gritty of existence. We have not had too much experience of this on these islands where expressionists are often few-and-far-between. Mark Xuereb in this exhibition in the depths of Valletta is sharing his talent and experience with us and perhaps stimulating something within us which we might almost fear. The appreciation of what we see here should help us to broaden our horizons. You do not have to like something to appreciate it; if you do appreciate it, you might actually feel that you need the stimulation to feed your sensitivity leading you on a path to a dose of cogent maturity.

 Both Picasso and Gauguin flirted with primitivism and here in Malta our Antoine Camilleri leaves his mark to inspire another generation. Gabriel Caruana is there and, budding away is Andrew Diacono. The underground choice of venue extols the need to sometimes do away with the charms of the seicento, Louis Quinze and La Belle Époque. I find this is a good lesson for me, and I am determined to take it in.” - Nicholas de Piro

 

“Answers are still being sought as to why humans express themselves through symbols and artistic expression, of which various forms of communication are conveyed. Primeval markings; such as those discovered by Christopher Henshilwood at Blombos Cave, Cape Town SA; which are constant and repetitive and found on various objects, makes us question whether such markings were purely decorative or had a functional purpose. Nonetheless symbolic expression seems to be rooted in human behaviour.

As historic and contemporary expression is facing oppression by fundamentalism, we are visiting the bomb shelters in quite a contrasting context. Although a solo exhibition and the artist had clear directions and parameters to share his thoughts and current work, a solo project became a collaborative one. Thus it became a multi-disciplinary experience; artistic, historical and technical; as a team we attempted to create a setting apt for discovering the self. Suggesting we should restrict ourselves from the commodities of the 21st century and attempting to commence from a tabula rasa.

Johannes Itten attempted to train the minds of his Bauhaus students through a tabula rasa aimed at developing new expressions and as noted by historian, such attempts were unsuccessful2. Yet in the ‘Primordial’ context the tabula rasa is materialistic and the artist’s methodology aspires to work with what is at hand or discarded by others. Being materials collected to morph into expressive forms or tools to express them. The artist, processes his collected clay with his bare hands, moulding his free spirited expression and carving deep thoughts reflecting our lifestyles and social context.

 Such expressions are continuously being morphed and reworked into other pieces, whilst adhering to their initial concept. Some individual settings kept transforming and adapting as pieces evolved through time. I find myself questioning whether subconsciously ‘Primordial’ is a body of work which purely reflects the thought process which changes as we go along. Those core values are tested from time to time when revisited (eg: Priest 2011-2015). A pure, powerful piece proves itself to be so through time. Some of the pieces exhibited have already surpassed that exercise. Some have evolved into other expressions, like Adrenaline with a wooden surfboard in 2013 and one year later opted to a metal one. Similar to our context, where the new release in whatever our interest may be, urges us to opt for the new functional, efficient and sleek reversion of the old. It is documentation that keeps track of the evolution which in its own is another expression of the pieces, to which we are privileged the artist is sharing with us in this illustrated booklet. - George Mario Attard