I have been to Palazzo de la Salle or the Malta Society of Arts so many times for exhibitions and concerts but had no idea that there were basement vaults open to the public for events. I discovered this from a press release. Yang Tang was holding an exhibition there, Jianghan Garden: A Place of Return. I was unable to go to the launch but am looking forward to visiting the exhibition and meeting the artist next week. In the meantime I invited a handful of those who have visited to give me their views.

ANDREA TACHLET, a ceramic artist and tutor at MCAST commented:  

"Stepping off the steep staircase and into the exhibition venue, I was immediately held by the intimate grip of the space and the works. There is a meandering feeling in the way the exhibition is set up, half hidden secret gardens that draw you into little alcoves formed by the vaulted ceiling. These alcoves convince the viewer to stand directly in front of the work, yet the work itself is not a frontal experience. We see fragments of views taken from different angles and different distances. Providing a sensation of moving through a space with curiosity; bending down, looking up, taking in the near and far, the texture, the light, the blurriness of impressionistic nature, the bold softness of an ink brushstroke. The colours evoke the changing moods that moving light creates, and the compositions give space to contemplation, enhancing that sensorial awareness that awakens when one finds those rare moments of accessible stillness that gardens offer us. As a lover of gentle space and stolen views, I was able to enter this exhibition with my heart as well as my eyes, and I was able to see Yang's gardens through her eyes and her heart."

YUN TANG a Chinese anthropologist based in Malta commented:

"When artist Yang Tang invited me to host the opening of her solo exhibition at the Malta Society of Arts, I sensed it would be a meaningful moment - both for her and for the space itself. She is quietly grounded in her own path, yet deeply open to the world around her, and I felt certain the exhibition would carry that same quality. What I did not anticipate was how the evening would unfold.

On a particularly windy winter evening, few of us expected the stone vaults of the MSA to fill so steadily with visitors. Yet people arrived from different directions - some with intention, others by chance - and many lingered longer than expected, drawn into an atmosphere that felt both intimate and unexpectedly shared.

Jiangnan, the region from which Yang's paintings draw their imagery, has long been associated with poetry, elegance, and a slower rhythm of life. Celebrated by scholars for centuries, it is also deeply rooted in everyday experience, cherished by ordinary people for its water towns, gardens, and lived landscapes. In recent decades, however, the region has undergone rapid urbanisation and dramatic transformation. The gardens remained - not untouched, but quietly persistent - witnessing the city's expansion and the acceleration of daily life. They continue to offer spaces where one can pause, return, and momentarily step out of the rush, allowing the mind to rest and attention to settle. It was this quality that first drew Yang to them.

Before the exhibition, I had seen several of Yang's paintings in her studio. Yet once installed in the vaults of the MSA, the works seemed to breathe differently. I found myself forgetting the wind and cold outside, struck by how naturally the paintings settled into this Mediterranean space. One detail in particular stayed with me: the entrance to the vault itself. Visitors instinctively bow as they step inside, lowering their heads to avoid the stone arch. One visitor later told me that when he raised his gaze again, he felt he had crossed a threshold, suddenly immersed in the space.

That word - threshold - stayed with me throughout the evening. Its meaning began to unfold through conversations with visitors from different backgrounds. The idea of "return" resonated far beyond its original context. In recent decades, Malta too has experienced intense construction and rapid change, bringing new opportunities alongside uncertainty. While daily life has become more convenient, many residents - not only Maltese nationals, but people who now call the island home - continue to ask similar questions: how to settle, how to belong, how to find meaning, and how to restore an inner rhythm.

In this setting, Yang's paintings offered not a solution, but a path - a quiet way of imagining peace. As anthropology reminds us, encounters with what feels "other" often sharpen our understanding of ourselves. Seen within the MSA vaults, the images of Jiangnan became such a reflective space: unfamiliar in form, yet deeply recognisable in feeling, offering a moment of stillness within an otherwise restless world."

MATTHEW SHIRFIELd , Oil painting tutor at MSA commented:

"Yang Tang's debut exhibition, Jiangnan Garden: A Place of Return, unfolds as a quiet and modest yet assured proposition: that an exhibition can function not only as a site of viewing, but as a space for introspection, and genuine exchange. Rather than demanding attention through shock, the works invite a sense of serenity. The overall impression is a cosy one, as though the gallery has been temporarily transformed into a shelter from external noise, offering visitors permission to slow down.

The exhibition's strength lies in its impressionistic subtlety showing the artist's first collection of works juxtaposed with her photographic works. Tang resists spectacle, instead favouring an environment that feels intimate and lived-in. The works are thoughtfully positioned, allowing breathing space between each piece and encouraging a reflective mode of engagement. This space contributes to the exhibition's central theme of "return", not as a grand spectacle, but as a gentle homecoming. 

 Another important aspect of the exhibition is Tang's inclusion of several objects and facsimiles drawn from ancient China. These materials do not function as static references, but as active points of engagement. Visitors are invited to handle certain objects and try specific techniques, bridging historical practices with contemporary experience. This hands-on element deepens the sense of intimacy and curiosity within the space, transforming spectators into participants. By allowing visitors to physically engage with these methods, Tang creates a tactile connection to the past, reinforcing the exhibition's themes of continuity, memory, and return." 

Yang Tang kept Basement Notes which she shared with me. I liked this sentence in particular: "The space, the works, the music, the participation, the interactions and the conversation together form one large work. They represent emotions from eight years ago, but also reflect my quick and more integrated way of thinking today."

I am intrigued.  See you next week Yang!

Photos: Yuxiang Tang and Mila

Jiangnan Garden: A Place of Return by Yang Tang will close on Thursday, January 29, 2026. 

Special opening hours for the final week: Wednesday, January 28, 2026: 1 pm-7 pm;

Thursday, January 29, 2026: 1 pm-7 pm (final day)