There's no doubt that the festive season is upon us. The bunting's out, the streets are decked to the brim, and that old ubiquitous greeting of 'all the best', has already started doing the rounds! But one piece of festive decoration has made the news this year, becoming the talk of the town - albeit for all the wrong reasons!
I am of course referring to the infamous Christmas tree set up in front of Parliament, by the Valletta Cultural Agency, complete with a large unsightly faux stone balcony, louvered windows and other loose furniture.
It is not quite clear why the agency in all of its artistic prowess chose this particular direction to adorn their tree this Christmas, but it sure got an entire nation united in a way. In fact a lot has already been said, and I don't wish to discuss the tree per se further, but I fear that it is very much symptomatic of a much more serious predicament which requires a mature national discussion.
The state of art and art patronage in Malta is problematic to put it elegantly. It is true, we do have agencies and institutions that take this field very seriously and do a sterling job, albeit underfunded and sometimes hindered by a myriad of challenges which we can discuss further, perhaps, in another article. However, the very good work of these organisations is outweighed negatively by extravagant and misplaced projects commissioned by the likes of the Valletta Cultural Agency, for its own self-serving vanity.
Unfortunately, in a country blessed with talented artists and art academics, we still have a situation which favours nepotism, and the unchecked splurging of public funds on vanity projects that serve absolutely no one. We have already spoken about the famous Film Awards at length. I am very curious to know what the new Minister responsible for film thinks of this festival and if he will listen to what the operators of the field had to say about it, ahead of the next edition.
I could also mention this year's Biennale which was a spectacular flop. Sadly, the project was led by someone who once boasted that he never even attended a Biennale himself - one wonders however could the event stand a chance in the world to be a success!
But back to art. In Malta we have a serious issue with the notion of public art. In fact, while we do have some great pieces which make us proud as a nation for their artistic importance, we also struggle to create a contemporary expression that truly resonates and represents Malta today.
Perhaps it is the result of a young democracy that is still developing as a nation, and is still in the process of exploring itself as a state. It is perhaps the result of art never being given the attention and resources needed to become truly valued intrinsically, beyond its monetary value or how it can be used to lure in tourists and other business interests.
A lazy and questionable argument calling into account the national treasure that is Anton Buttigieg's much loved poem 'Il-Kebbies tal-Fanali', will not cut it to justify the, sadly, unsuccessful ensemble that is Valletta Cultural Agency's Christmas tree. The way the contractor has been chosen, via direct order also doesn't help to guarantee the best standards of good governance.
We need a mature conversation about the need of art in our everyday lives. We need to look at art beyond its decorative function, as an expression of the soul. As someone famously once said, art is supposed to comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable. We have a long way to go to get to this point.
Sadly with agencies like the Valletta Cultural Agency, under its current leadership, which stands for nothing more than organising big soulless events that serve neither Valletta nor its culture, we have a long way to go indeed.
I wish to extend my heartfelt greetings to this newspaper's readers, for the upcoming festive season, and the very best for a blessed and prosperous new year.
Julie Zahra is the Opposition's Shadow Minister for Cultural Heritage, Arts, and Culture