The Wind Blows... waves in all directions is a new exhibition in Spazju Kreattiv, heralding the forthcoming EuroPride Valletta 2023 programme of events with a beautifully-curated series of art to make you think about the experience of queer people in Malta and in other countries bordering the Mediterranean. While Malta holds the celebrated top spot in the ILGA-Europe Rainbow map for inclusion and acceptance (where ILGA stands for International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association), this exhibition is not only fresh, colourful and intriguing; it also doesn't pull its punches. Masterfully curated by Bobb Attard and Mohamed Ali Agrebi, the imagery ranges from the ethereal to colourful illustrations that at first glance could almost appear in a children's picture-book, yet also confronts harsh realities, deep emotion, frustration and fear. It's a fascinating insight into the lives of others, particularly for those born conforming to the strictures of heteronormative societies around the world within which the LGBTQ+ community strives for equality.
This diverse exhibition is spread across two large exhibition spaces - start with The Wind blows... (Space C) and you're immediately welcomed by Id-Di u d-Do (Part I) by Ramon Azzopardi Fiott, a painted duo of cosy Maltese townhouses which were often built in pairs. Representing companionship and the inseparable nature of a cherished partnership, they also signal that everyone can feel at home here. To their right, drawing on Maltese heritage, artist Nik Keter's painting The Idol draws inspiration from the għonella - or wide-hooded cloak - shrouding women from prying eyes in years past. The bearded yet womanly character gazing out, however, is atypical, reflecting how "unusual" individuals have also been expected to cover themselves to avoid social or other forms of censure. Here too there's a glitzy floor-length gown that sparkles like a cut-glass chandelier. Created by Mark Edward Mifsud, this elegant piece pays homage to Maltese model and fearless fashion icon Katya Saunders, an openly-transgender woman who challenged boundaries internationally in the 1970s and 80s. Nearby, a set of demo signs remind visitors of the continued need to push for change.
Across four rooms on this level, the art on show also includes Mara/Raġel, an autobiographical photography project exploring the fluidity of gender identity; a film I choose life, the story of a Sub-Saharan asylum-seeker in Tunisia and an extraordinary poster-presentation A hand routine. The latter maps the timeline of a gay couple's hand-holding, over several days and interspersed with snippets of conversation, while driving in their car in Beirut where this is a dangerous act.
It is the fourth of these rooms, however, where the unsettling Pig 2 (Ball Tongue) makes my blood congeal: Andrea Quaglia's use of a crocheted pig head-dress, an object that is seemingly so fun and harmless in stark contrast to the situation from which the protagonist stares from the wall. Are they tongue-tied, I reflect, or silenced? Either way, it's an uncomfortable narrative. And while bright and cheeky, drawings by Tunisian film director Bassem Ben Brahim beyond highlight the pain of two men kept apart by cartoon thorns like Disney Sleeping Beauties which raise the question of how we treat intersex babies, born with reproductive or sexual anatomy that do not fit within a binary male-female distinction. The second part of this outstanding exhibition, in Spazju Kreattiv's Space A, ....Waves in all directions also includes a gentle reminder that not all people fit, biologically, into assigned biological sexes.
....Waves in all directions begins by revisiting Id-Di u d-Do in a second painting (Part II). This time, however, one of the townhouses has been ransacked and the other mourns: while ostensibly a comment on the aesthetic damage being done to Malta's streetscapes, the grief felt at the needless loss of a companion is equally clear. Love and loss are also captured in Fiott's Stalletti in which the artist - the son - mourns the loss of his beloved mother. The picture is an inverted depiction that mirrors Mary's anguish at the crucifixion, a dagger at her heart: as queer artistry brushes against Catholic doctrine, we are reminded that people face prejudice even while grieving those closest to them. Alongside, a handwritten tract on a sheet lit by an old-fashioned lamp, an installation by Fiott's "inherited Godchild", gently sheds light on the nature of gender fluidity and the continuum that exists between traditional concepts of gender.
Nearby a large metal sculpture was inspired by chimera butterflies, a naturally-found phenomenon in which a butterfly has one wing displaying typical female patterning, and the other wing, typical male patterning. These beautiful creatures are often used symbolically by the trans community. The sculpture is enviably robust, but brutal and plain rather than delicate and decorative, and with the hushed atmosphere deep in these bastions evoking the subdued quiet of queer culture over the years, the iron is reminiscent of weaponry or a shield. It's wonderful therefore that this exhibition offers queer voices a platform to showcase their thoughts and the challenges they face in such an engaging way. We should all be listening.
EuroPride is organised by ARC - Allied rainbow communities and supported by the Government of Malta - Parliamentary Secretariat for Reforms and Equality
'The wind blows... waves in all directions' runs at Spazju Kreattiv until 27 October. For more on this show, music, theatre and other events for EuroPride Valletta 2023 (7-17 September), visit europride2023.mt
