I have known Elisa for quite some time, and over the years, we have collaborated on numerous cultural events in Strada Stretta. I have long admired her stunning work, and now, at last, we get to collaborate on her own exhibition. It feels like a serendipitous full circle that this exhibition brings us back to Strada Stretta after so many years - this time at The Splendid.
If you take a look at the images surrounding this article, you'll immediately notice the bright colours and the playful energy they exude. And believe me, the past few months working with Elisa have been just as fun as her work suggests. From selecting the pieces - an experience that deserves its own paragraph below - to planning the setup, visiting the framer, and sharing the excitement of working with an artist who fully embraces bold, vibrant and unconventional coloured frames to complement her works, every step of the process has been a joy.
The works in this exhibition originate from various meticulously staged photoshoots. Each shoot is centred around a carefully composed arrangement of objects, many of them small in scale, alongside glossy, shiny, and reflective surfaces. In this exhibition, Von Brockdorff focuses on an in-depth exploration of light and reflections, and just as importantly, she emphasises the space between the objects - the way light falls, interacts, and transforms these in-between spaces into something visually compelling.
In this fantastical otherworldly dimension, Von Brockdorff playfully examines the dynamic relationship between materials and light. Some of her works showcase an intricate and complex interplay between different planes, while in others, the objects are deliberately minimised to allow light and its mesmerising reflections to take centre stage.
Now, back to the process of selecting the works. Each photoshoot results in countless images - multiple angles, varying lighting conditions, and often a series of nearly identical shots with minute adjustments. To an untrained eye, the differences may seem negligible, but for an artist like Von Brockdorff, these subtle variations determine whether an image succeeds or fails. Selecting just one or two photos from each series was no easy task - it was, at times, agonizing. However, the experience was incredibly rewarding, offering me a deeper appreciation for her meticulous attention to detail.
The curatorial plan for this exhibition was beyond exciting. Let's be honest - the venue itself is architecturally unique, with practically no restrictions, making it a dream come true for any artist and curator - a dream playground to play in.
We decided to go for a harmoniously chaotic hanging style - there were no rigidly fixed sizes for the works. Some pieces merge into one another, others feature faux frames, some remain unframed, and a few even take on the role of props within the space. We found other props from the venue itself which we felt would create a cozy atmosphere, in the otherwise austere space. A special thank you goes to Jason Masini for his invaluable help and patience.
Moving on to my favourite part - describing some of the works; artworks such as Chair Yellow, Lemon Yellow and Rainbow Reflections transport us into a space reminiscent of an Olafur Eliasson installation - an artist often referred to as the sculptor of light. There is a shared persistence in capturing light as a medium in itself. While Eliasson's works unfold on a grand architectural scale, Von Brockdorff's pieces seem to encapsulate that same vibrancy and playfulness with light, but in a more intimate, almost miniature dimension.
Similarly, pieces like Minimal Yellow and Minimal Pink evoke the immersive quality of James Turrell's architectural light installations. There is a sense of being enveloped in pure colour, where light ceases to be just an illuminating force and instead becomes an experience in its own right. Von Brockdorff's works, though more compact, carry the essence of these monumental explorations, drawing us into a carefully constructed world where light, colour and space merge into a playful yet deeply considered artistic expression.
For all the anthophiles visiting the exhibition, we've prepared something just for you (or at least we hope so!). One of the rooms will be entirely dedicated to works featuring flowers.
Let's start with my personal favorite: Pixel Flowers. Brace yourselves - I have a lot to say about this one! It was love at first sight. The piece presents a "flat" floral arrangement, perfectly fitting the rectangular frame of the artwork. Yet, there's an intriguing illusion at play in the backdrop. Are the flowers floating in an off-white solution? Are they embedded in a wax-like surface? This enigmatic quality immediately calls to mind Still Life with Iceland Poppy by Irving Penn, where a seemingly simple floral composition takes on a mesmerising, almost sculptural presence.
A particularly fascinating element in Pixel Flowers, and another piece in the series, is the presence of two glitch-like lines at the bottom of the image. However, these are not intentional digital manipulations. As Von Brockdorff explained in a recent interview with Ben Mifsud Joslin: "While preparing the images for printing, the pixels also went on a picnic quite literally! Two images intended for the exhibition got corrupted by my hard disk, creating artifacts that weren't in the original photo. At first, there was some panic at the picnic, but eventually, I decided to display the corrupted photos and now, I like to think of it as a collaboration with my hard disk."
This work along with its counterpart Pixel Flowers 2 - a darker rendition of a similar composition, are reminiscent of the Botanical series by Paulette Tavormina. Tavormina's works are all on a stark black background, where her similar arrangements often recall the sumptuous detail of 17th century Old Master still-life painters, whereas Von Brockdorff's approach is more contemporary with just a hint of a bygone era.
In Neon Mirror 1 and 2, light and reflections completely dominate the composition. What would traditionally be the focal point - the flowers - are instead pushed into the background despite being positioned in the foreground. They remain intentionally out of focus, dissolving into the vibrant interplay of neon hues and mirrored surfaces. This deliberate blurring shifts the emphasis away from the object itself and toward the dynamic, almost hypnotic relationship between light, colour and reflection.
In Shadow Flower, we see the shadows taking over, along with the complex reflections of the same shadows of the flowers, which again emphasise Von Brockdorff's new approach of eliminating the actual object and giving importance to the medium of light and reflections. She highlights the ephemeral nature of light and reflection, reinforcing the idea that what we see, or think we see, is often shaped as much by absence as by presence.
To conclude, I want to mention another of my favourites, Lemon Yellow. It confuses me in such a beautiful way. The complex play between the various planes, the raw "rough" colours, the reflected lemon, which takes centre stage over the real lemon, and the web of reflections within more shadows and more reflections are just fascinating.
The exhibition will also include two events. On Sunday, 23 February, there will be music performances by Elisa von Brockdorff and Ben Mifsud Joslin. Doors open 7pm. Another event will be a talk by Elisa, date to be confirmed.
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