The Malta Society of Arts' 2023 Members' Exhibition titled The Archive: Memories & Recollections features over 40 different artworks in various media by more than 50 artist members, who worked individually or as part of a group. The inspiration for this exhibition is the Society's own extensive archive of documents, however the idea of an 'archive' was borrowed by the artists to generate new concepts, experimentations, and creative approaches. The exhibition, curated by Roderick Camilleri, is on until 7 September at the Art Galleries of Palazzo de La Salle in Valletta.

We sat down with some of the artists, who share, in their own words, details of the works they have created for the exhibition.

Tanya Vella, NonNobis. Mixed media (oils, archival inks, coffee)

Tanya Vella is a retired diplomat, who describes herself as an artist in search of roots.

"NonNobis is a tribute to my paternal grandfather, Anthony Vella, inspired by a motto on his 1930 certificate of membership of the Malta Society of Arts, whose full name at the time was the Malta Society of Arts, Manufactures & Commerce - Non Nobis Sed Patriae (Not for us but for our Country) - a legacy I hope to continue to live up to.

"Discovering fragments of his legacy to society through several conversations with family members and objects in their possession, NonNobis is an attempt at coming to terms with the complexity of identity across countries and generations. My final version after several experiments with different media transposes the repetitive dance of life, death and continuity through imaginary mould patterns projected into the present and my own future."

 

Clint Calleja, 277. Four Collage and Oils on Canvas (170cm X 70cm each)

Clint Calleja (born 1983) is a versatile contemporary artist, seamlessly navigating mediums from painting and sculpture to printing and installation, with his creations rooted in personal experiences and environmental influence. His pieces delve into identity, memory, and cultural heritage, offering reflections on modern society's complexities.

"For this collective, I created a triptych portraying three deathbed scenes, capturing the poignant moments of being beside loved ones as they approach the threshold of life's end. The triptych serves as a poignant recollection of the final postures etched into an artist's memory-subtle yet profound.

"For me, these images encapsulate a profound sense of helplessness and despair, where the ebbing moments of life slip away. The significance of 277 resonates deeply, signifying the resting place of a father, mother, and daughter - an eternal bond uniting them in the embrace of tranquillity."

 

Dave Calleja, Perception of Life. Metal on a concrete base

In his journey to apprehend life or life's meaning, Dave Calleja submerges himself into metal shapes and creations. Comparing metal to life, he shapes metal in any form he desires: for both life and metal, he believes a sizeable effort is required for fulfilment.

"Created over a very long period, the sculpture Perception of Life can be interpreted as a reflection of the artist's soul. The material is tough and heavy - hinting at a strong-looking being, but the missing limbs, almost torn, are a metaphor for missed opportunities, perhaps through decisions one makes in life, maybe leading to lack of flourishing. But in the end the artist is still standing straight and bold, ready to tackle whatever life decides to send his way.

"In the walk of life, we leave a lot of past and memories behind. Life is like an Archive; we can always journey into our memories and re-live moments."

 

A collective of artists made up of Joanna Azzopardi, Marita Fenech, Josephine Hili and Audrey Vella. Trails of Affluence, Mixed Media (textiles, metals and precious stones)

"Most concepts in life have a beginning and a continuation rather than an ending. This work represents just this concept because, trails have a start and continue drifting away from the original source and will continue evolving.

"Archives are the collection of events, memories and achievements which can relate to the growth from nothing to magnificence in anything that humans are capable of bringing to life, including the magnificent Palazzo de La Salle. Our piece represents this achievement, which has been the result of an ongoing process."

 

Daniela Camilleri, Nanna Nannina. Plaster of paris cast, photographs, birthday card, postcards, passport, driving licence

Daniela is a tactile person who sees creativity in disused objects and who conveys a message through her artworks without instigating controversy.

"Tracey Emin's May Dodge, My Nan was the starting point for my installation Nanna Nannina. As someone who admired and loved her Nanna, I was fortunate to have kept several memorabilia of hers. The highlight was a cast of her hands that she had lovingly allowed me to cast a few years before her passing. These are the hands that had brushed my hair, caressed my face, and held my hands.

"Our memories are an infinite source of experiences, most of which we can access while conscious, while some are uniquely felt while unconscious. Locke theorises that 'a person's identity only reaches as far as their memory ...' Through this installation, I have endeavoured to define a part of my identity through the memory of my beloved Nanna."

 

Isaac Warrington, Matter Matters (Part of the Petra series). Stoneware with Oxides

Warrington's works tend to have a dark and critical nature. They also tend to portray an absurdist perception towards existential concepts as well as the inclusion of primal elements and behaviour.

 "This work is an expansion of a previous series titled Petra denoting ideas of beginning and end of life, seen from both a cosmic as well as a material viewpoint. This work was inspired by the phenomenon of the sea eating away at the rocks and repositing additional ones. It also draws heavy inspiration from the formations and seemingly chaotic patterns found in rocks, soil, and various bone structures - life composing matter.

"The way we assign meaning to objects and phenomena can be directly related to how the world has been composed over time. The work Matter Matters owes its existence to the work of Martin Heidegger known as Being and Time in which the concept of time is described as what it means for a human being to be. To exist temporally in the stretch between birth and death. Being is time and time is finite, it ends with our death."

 

 

The participating artists in The Archive: Memories & Recollections are: Joseph Agius, Fabiola Agius Anastasi, Carmen Aquilina, Kamy Aquilina, Joanne Azzopardi, Noel Azzopardi, Josian Bonello, Carm Borg, Dione Borg, Clint Calleja, Dave Calleja, Daniela Camilleri, Josette Casha, Adrienne Cassar, Matthew Cassar, Alex Dalli, Patrick Dalli, Maria Rossella Dalmas, Katel Delia, Jessica DeMers, Damian Ebejer, Margaret Farrugia, Jason Fenech, Censu Fenech, Marita Fenech, Michelle Gialanze, Daniela Guevska, Eman Grima, Marion Gruebl, Josephine Hili, Sun Hui, Eric Kaiser, Yuexin Kong, Edward Micallef, Leanne Lewis, Jordan Muscat, Gabriela Nicolaescu, Audrey Pace, Nadya Peovska, Roberto Prestigiacomo, Joseph Pulo, Quinn Salter, Ethan Salter, Valerio Schembri, Josianne Spiteri, Lucienne Spiteri, Stefan Spiteri, Darren Tanti, Elena Toncheva, Audrey Vella, Tanya Vella, Isaac Warrington, Robert Zahra, Charmaine Zammit, and Alison Zammit Endrich.