This is my third curated collective exhibition for the Malta Community Chest Fund. Together with the ART4MCCF committee, we decided to dedicate the exhibition to landscapes. The exhibition will be held at the Grandmaster's Palace in Valletta, under the distinguished patronage of Her Excellency Myriam Spiteri Debono, President of Malta.

Landscapes - a genre of painting in its own right. It is a genre that has inspired artists for many centuries, initially serving as a backdrop to figures and narratives until it became the main subject of paintings.

For our exhibition, I decided to include seascapes - after all, we do live on an island - but after further reflection, I wanted to challenge our participating artists further, open more doors and windows, and add to the excitement (and, selfishly, cater to my love for surrealism). I coined a new word: Imaginary-scapes. After sleeping on it, I decided to complicate it even more by changing it to Imaginary-[e]scapes - when we wish to escape from everyone and everything, we imagine our own safe space somewhere far away, where we are the masters and mistresses of our own created space.

The exhibition features 43 artists: Joseph Agius, Alex Attard, Eric Attard, Marisa Attard, Alexia Baldacchino, Fabio Borg, Celia Borg Cardona, Dave Calleja, Sarah Calleja, Antoine Paul Camilleri, Roderick Camilleri, Silvio John Camilleri, Thomaz Cauchi, Martina Darmanin, Katel Delia, Jo Dounis, Keith Ellul, Wallace Falzon, Etienne Farrell, Anna Galea, Patrick Galea, Stephen Grima, Ivan Grixti, Clyde Haber, Matthew Kassar, Yuexin Kong, JP Migneco, Milly Mile, Mark Geoffrey Muscat, Lawrence Pavia, Ethelbert Perini, Elaine R. C. Saliba, Joanne Scerri Valentino, Darryl Schembri, Kevin Sciberras, Peter Seychell, Matthew Shirfield, Hui Sun, Yuxiang Tang, Shweta Urane, Lara Vella, Kenneth Zammit Tabona and Andrew E. Zarb.

Some artists were invited to participate, while others were selected through an open call. The chosen artists work across a diverse range of media, including oil, acrylic, charcoal, ink, photography, digital techniques, watercolour, spray paint, collage, pastels, soil, pyrography, pencil, ceramics and mixed media. The participants range from highly established figures to first-time exhibitors. While most artists are from the Maltese Islands, others come from France, China and India. Regardless of their origins, much of the inspiration, particularly in the more realistic works, is drawn from the Maltese landscape.

Starting with artists who chose to depict real landscapes and cityscapes, we have Antoine Paul Camilleri's Victory Street, Senglea; Stephen Grima's Wens il-Pellegrini - Santwarju tal-Madonna, Mellieħa; Clyde Haber's stylised depiction of Mdina; Lara Vella's Dijja, capturing the iconic Maltese countryside; Yuxiang Tang's View of Żebbuġ from Siġġiewi and Mark Geoffrey Muscat's rendition of Palazzo Parisio's Gardens. Each artist brings their unique style, approach and palette to their interpretation of the Maltese landscape.

Meanwhile, Lawrence Pavia's Marsaxlokk Farmhouse and Elaine R. C. Saliba's Imaginary Island subtly highlight the ongoing loss of Malta's architectural identity due to overdevelopment.

Others focus on seascapes or a blend of land and sea, such as Celia Borg Cardona's Ras ir-Reqqa, Sarah Calleja's Fond Għadir and Wallace Falzon's Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq Salt Pans. Joanne Scerri Valentino captures a storm at sea in Beacon of Hope, while Ethelbert Perini's Ħallih Iħabbat presents a calmer shoreline. Patrick Galea's Moonlight Sonata is the only night scene among the works, whereas Jo Dounis takes a minimalist approach with The Point. Kenneth Zammit Tabona, inspired by a place he deeply admires, portrays Fomm ir-Riħ.

Additionally, three artworks place particular emphasis on Malta's iconic church-dominated skylines: Matthew Kassar's Valletta, Kevin Sciberras' Endless Paths and Shweta Urane's Series of Malta_II_Landscape inspired by her recent sojourn in Malta.

Some artists use landscapes or seascapes as a backdrop for their subjects, as seen in the works of Hui Sun, whose View of Three Sister Cities features a cargo ship set against the backdrop of the Three Cities; Yuexin Kong's Resting Time, where birds take centre stage in Sydney's Natural Park and Dave Calleja's metal sculpture Sail Away With Me, a minimalist seascape with a large sailing boat that reflects his love for the sea.

Martina Darmanin's Desert Vibes & High-Rise Dreams explores the commercialisation of iconic landscapes used on souvenirs - often reduced to kitsch - holding sentimental value for some and serving as mere decoration for others.

Silvio John Camilleri's Diogenes Defying Decadence prominently features human figures juxtaposed against a concrete flyover, creating a striking contrast between decadence and rigid structure.

Matthew Shirfield is the only artist portraying a ruin - a genre I deeply admire (noted for a possible collective exhibition specifically focused on ruins). His piece, Fort Ricasoli Ruin, captures the haunting beauty of decay. Similarly, Alexia Baldacchino's imaginary landscape, Echoes of the Mediterranean, evokes the same sense of ruin and timelessness.

Notably, all four photography pieces in the exhibition are in black and white. Alex Attard and Keith Ellul capture rock formations at the water's edge in Tal-Mara and Fate Awaits, respectively, while Katel Delia presents an underwater perspective of a wave crashing against the shore in Contre Plongée - II. Andrew E. Zarb takes this concept further in Point of View. Known for his nude photography, Zarb transforms a female nude torso into a landscape, mimicking rolling dunes and valleys.

Another artist who plays with the interplay between the human figure and landscapes is J. P. Migneco, whose work, Topograph, draws parallels between topographical maps and anatomical X-rays.

Some artists transport us to imaginary worlds, such as Roderick Camilleri's Untitled work from his series Ecotopias and Eric Attard's Embodiment of Energy // Disembodiment of Matter, where matter mimics photons in being both physical and electromagnetic. In Whispers from Sault, Peter Seychell evokes the beautiful spirit of Provence.

Ivan Grixti's Zeta and Darryl Schembri's Harmony in Chaos both feature abstract backgrounds with complex geometrical or more linear and minimal aspects in the foreground. Another abstract work, Ancora Sconosciuto, by Fabio Borg, is reminiscent of an abstract landscape.

The youngest artist in the exhibition, Milly Mile, presents a fantastical landscape titled Nebula Falls and experiments with the medium, creating a work that transforms depending on whether it is viewed in light or darkness.

Three artists took quite an interesting angle on seascapes. Anna Galea's abstract rendition of the sea in Clear Waters evokes nostalgic memories of clear, clean seas from the artist's childhood. Joseph Agius' sculptural work, Vortex and Thomaz Cauchi's sleek, shiny black rendition of a dark abyss of waves, Untitled Wave 4.6, further explore this theme.

Two artists are sharing personal landscapes of their experiences. Etienne Farrell's 1994 abstract work addresses the aftermath of loss and death and how these disrupt the landscape of our lives. Marisa Attard ponders whether, through memories, an unbreakable bond is created and how the landscape of our existence and experiences is carried on in time in her work, Above and Beyond.

Through the dialogue between the real and the imagined, Landscapes, Seascapes, and Imaginary-[e]scapes offers a thought-provoking exploration of how we navigate and reinterpret the spaces around us, inspiring viewers to envision new possibilities for the worlds within and beyond.

Entrance is from Merchant's Street, Valletta. The exhibition is in aid of the Malta Community Chest Fund and is curated by Melanie Erixon.

The exhibition is on until 16 March at the Grandmaster's Palace, Valletta. Opening hours: 2 & 3 March: 10am to 1pm and 4 to 16 March: 10am to 1pm & 4 to 7pm