Artist Andrew E. Zarb is showcasing his works abroad for the first time. Two photography works from his new series have been selected for a major collective exhibition in Venice at Palazzo Pisani Revedin, running until today, 21 July. At Art Sweven, we are also exploring new horizons by helping Maltese artists find opportunities to showcase their works internationally through our new branch Art Sweven Represents.
The collective exhibition, organised by ITSLIQUID Group, is titled Mixing Identities and is part of a number of exhibitions which form part of Contemporary Venice - 15th Edition. Curated by Luca Curci and project manager Giulia Tassi, the exhibition features works by 59 artists from around the world, in various media, from paintings, digital works, photography and sculpture, exploring the theme of mixing identities.
These two works by Zarb form part of his new series titled Plastic Faith/Fate. Each of the artworks depicts a female figure ensnared and concealed beneath a transparent plastic sheet. The concept behind these works revolves around our relationship with plastic and our reliance on it, juxtaposed with the environmental destruction caused by its excessive usage.
Entitled Plastic Faith one artwork exudes a quasi-religious aura, resembling a veiled saintly statue awaiting procession in a village celebration. It reflects humanity's acceptance of plastic's comforts, resigning to a life within its confines. The second piece, Plastic Fate, portrays the planet's anguish in its degradation due to plastic pollution, reminiscent of Edvard Munch's The Scream, capturing existential angst.
These two works can be considered as a diptych, as when viewed together, these artworks evoke a cycle of contentment and despair, reminding us of Camus' essay on the myth of Sisyphus. Sisyphus' eternal task symbolises the struggle between accepting a dire reality and dreading its repetition. Zarb's diptych similarly reflects the ongoing battle between enjoying the conveniences of plastic and grappling with the resulting environmental destruction.
Throughout his artistic journey so far, Zarb's work evolved from portraying nudes to slowly including props like veils and other semi-transparent materials. In his last solo exhibition, titled Un/Veiled, held at il-Kamra ta' Fuq in Mqabba, he also experimented for the first time with water and the human body and explored optical refractions and the interplay of veils and fabric underwater. In the two works presented for Mixing Identities, he shifts focus - the human body becomes the prop, and plastic becomes the central subject.
The venue, Palazzo Pisani Revedin, situated in one of Venice's charming piazzas, provides an exquisite backdrop for the showcased works of exceptional quality. Of notable mention are a couple of artists, who I admit intrigued me more than others. I'll start with Slasky, an Italian artist, who presented a series of digital works. As his Instagram motto says, "Art is not to represent new things but to represent with novelty", and indeed that's what this artist does. We are faced with a set of portraits, dressed in Elizabethan attire, and executed quite in a chiaroscuro style, but with contemporary tongue-in-cheek twists.
Another artist whose work was quite intriguing is Robert Ricov from Croatia. His oil on canvas work titled Since you left me, depicts a multi-layered story inspired by a break-up, imbued with symbolism and a meticulous, almost hyperrealist execution, which shows himself and his ex-girlfriend, portrayed in multiple instances and in a very complex composition brimming with objects that narrate their story in one complex plain. Of course, it's impossible to mention more works in this short review, but the exhibition is definitely worth a visit.
We look forward to seeing more from Zarb and are excited to share future projects as we continue to support and promote Maltese artists on the international stage. Stay tuned for more updates and exhibitions from Art Sweven Represents.