Dan l-avveniment għadda
Dati
Il-Ħamis 16 ta' April - Il-Ħadd 24 ta' Mejju 2026
F’dawn l-aħħar snin, Spazju Kreattiv wettaq xogħol arkivjali sinifikanti fuq il-kollezzjoni permanenti tal-arti tiegħu, li rriżulta f’dokumentazzjoni u preservazzjoni bir-reqqa. Din l-inizjattiva wasslet għal sensiela ta’ wirjiet li juru kemm in-natura tax-xogħlijiet kif ukoll l-approċċ li qed jevolvi tal-organizzazzjoni għall-akkwist tal-arti. Permezz ta’ dan l-istudju dettaljat, ġie żviluppat ukoll arkivju diġitali tal-kollezzjoni li sar aċċessibbli għall-pubbliku. Hekk kif l-organizzazzjoni tiċċelebra l-25 anniversarju tagħha, din tidħol f’fażi ġdida ta’ tkabbir u riflessjoni. Biex jimmarkaw dan l-anniversarju, ġew ikkummissjonati erba’ artisti prominenti—kull wieħed minnhom figura ewlenija fis-settur tal-arti u kontributur sinifikanti għall-evoluzzjoni ta’ Spazju Kreattiv bħala attur ewlieni u innovatur fil-qasam. Din l-inizjattiva l-ġdida mhux biss tagħti ġieħ lil-legat ta’ dawn l-artisti iżda tħeġġeġ ukoll riflessjoni kontinwa dwar ir-rilevanza tal-kollezzjoni fix-xenarju kulturali tal-lum. Permezz tal-kummissjonar ta’ xogħlijiet ġodda li għandhom jiżdiedu mal-kollezzjoni permanenti, Spazju Kreattiv jafferma mill-ġdid l-impenn tiegħu għall-innovazzjoni artistika, id-djalogu kritiku, u l-evoluzzjoni kontinwa tal-arkivju tiegħu. Huwa jenfasizza wkoll id-dedikazzjoni dejjiema tal-organizzazzjoni għat-trawwim tal-kreattività u l-enfażi fuq ir-rwol vitali tal-arti u l-kultura fil-politika nazzjonali ta’ Malta.
LEGACY
Artist: Marie Louise Kold
April 1942: Malta tinsab taħt wieħed mill-aktar bombardament qawwi tat-Tieni Gwerra Dinjija. Il-piż ta’ dan il-passat mhuwiex limitat għall-mużewijiet jew monumenti, sal-lum jinsab preżenti fit-toroq u fl-arkitettura mmarkata bix-xrapnel, evidenti fil-ħajja ta’ kuljum. Ir-reżiljenza, ir-riżorsi u s-solidarjetà tan-nies ordinarji li ffaċċjaw diffikultajiet u terruri, saru ġustament parti min-narrattiva nazzjonali u sors ta’ kburija nazzjonali.
Diċembru 1977: pakkett bomba toqtol lil Karin Grech, tfajla ta’ 15-il sena. Dan l-att ta’ vjolenza politika orribbli, flimkien man-nuqqas sussegwenti li jitressqu quddiem il-ġustizzja dawk responsabbli, jiftaħ ferita fil-psike nazzjonali li għadha ma fieqetx anke saħansitra sa nofs seklu wara.
Ottubru 2017: bomba mal-karozza toqtol lill-ġurnalista investigattiva u kummentatriċi politika Daphne Caruana Galizia. Dan l-att ieħor ta’ vjolenza politika brutali u r-rivelazzjonijiet ta’ korruzzjoni li segwew jikkawżaw qasma fis-soċjetà Maltija. Fuq livell personali, il-qtil ta’ Daphne Caruana Galizia affettwani profondament, peress li seħħ meta kont qed ngħix u naħdem f’Malta.
L-istorja, kemm dik antika kif ukoll dik riċenti, iffurmat il-mentalità kollettiva tal-poplu Malti. It-trawma mill-qtil mhux solvut ta’ Karin Grech u Daphne Caruana Galizia hija wirt tossiku. Għaldaqstant, mhijiex ferita li tista’ tfiq bil-mod, iżda waħda li, fin-nuqqas ta’ ġustizzja; tkompli tiġi mniġġsa u tissaħħaħ.
Il-blokka tal-ġebla tal-franka f’din l-opra hija Maltija, maħduma mill-blat tal-gżira. Mnaqqxa fuq wiċċha hemm parti mill-Kostituzzjoni Maltija, relatata mad-drittijiet tal-individwu. Mhux biss mistrieħa fuq il-ġebla, iżda mdaħħla fiha, hemm skultura tar-ram. Din l-iskultura turi profondament salib tradizzjonali Malti b’tmien ponot, li turi tnejn mit-tmien beatitudnijiet. Irfinata bl-idejn sa ma tleqq bħal mera, tidher, mal-ewwel daqqa t’għajn, bħala mafkar sempliċi u komplementari għall-passat ta’ Malta. “Għaliex niġbru?”, ġejt mistoqsi meta aċċettajt din il-kummissjoni. Niġbru biex niftakru.
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Dates
Thursday 16th April - Sunday 24th May 2026
In recent years, Spazju Kreattiv has undertaken significant archival work on its permanent arts collection, resulting in thorough documentation and preservation. This initiative has led to a series of exhibitions that showcase both the nature of the works and the organisation’s evolving approach to acquiring art. Through this detailed study, a digital archive of the collection has also been developed and made publicly accessible. As the organisation celebrates its 25th anniversary, it enters a new phase of growth and reflection. To mark this milestone, four prominent artists have been commissioned—each a leading figure in the arts sector and a significant contributor to Spazju Kreattiv’s evolution as a key stakeholder and innovator in the field. This new initiative not only honours the legacy of these artists but also encourages ongoing reflection on the collection’s relevance in today’s cultural landscape. By commissioning new works to be added to the permanent collection, Spazju Kreattiv reaffirms its commitment to artistic innovation, critical dialogue, and the continuous evolution of its archive. It also underscores the organisation’s enduring dedication to nurturing creativity and emphasising the vital role of arts and culture within Malta’s national policy.
LEGACY
Artist: Marie Louise Kold
April 1942: Malta is subjected to the heaviest bombing of the second world war. The weight of this past is not confined to museums or monuments – it is, to this day, present in the streets and the architecture marked by shrapnel, evident in everyday life. The resilience, resourcefulness and solidarity of ordinary people facing privations and horrors have justifiably become part of the nation’s narrative and a source of national pride.
December 1977: A parcel bomb kills 15-year-old Karin Grech. This act of horrific political violence, together with the subsequent failure to bring to justice the perpetrators, opens a rift in the national psyche that remains unhealed even half a century later.
October 2017: A car bomb kills investigative journalist and political commentator Daphne Caruana Galizia. This further act of brutal political violence and the resulting revelations of corruption cause a rupture in Maltese society. On a personal level, the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia affected me deeply, as it coincided with my living and working in Malta.
History, both past and recent, has shaped the collective mindset of the Maltese people. The trauma from Karin Grech’s and Daphne Caruana Galizia’s unresolved murders is a toxic legacy. As such, it is not a wound that might slowly heal, but one that – in the absence of justice – festers and deepens.
The block of limestone in this artwork is Maltese, hewn out of the island’s bedrock. Engraved into its surface is a part of the Maltese constitution, concerned with the rights of the individual. Not so much resting on top of the limestone, but rather plunged into it, is a copper sculpture. This sculpture is a section of the emblematic eight-pointed Maltese cross, showing two of the eight beatitudes. Hand polished to a mirror finish, it appears, at first sight, to be a simple, complimentary homage to Malta’s past. “Why do we collect?”, I was asked when I took on this commission. We collect to remember.
