Jien Sean Fisher, artist mill-Iskozja u New Zealand ibbażat fin-Netherlands.
Il-prattika tiegħi tħallat l-inġinerija mekkanika u l-patafiżika. Jiena affaxxinat bil-metamorfożi u t-trasformazzjoni, inħares b’mod kritiku lejn l-użu tagħna tar-riżorsi limitati tal-pjaneta u nfittex li nirrifletti n-natura dinamika tad-dinja permezz ta’ diversi mezzi u fl-istess ħin nenfasizza u nirrispondi għar-relazzjoni assurda li għandna lejn il-kulturi ta’ inġinerija periferiċi u l-interrelazzjonijiet bejn l-ekoloġija, l-ekonomija, il-komunitajiet u ż-żmien. Meta nkun qed naħdem nilbes nuċċali patafiżiku. Il-patafiżika, ix-xjenza ta’ soluzzjonijiet immaġinarji, tagħtini l-opportunità inħares lejn l-ewwel imħabba tiegħi – l-inġinerija mekkanija – b’mod mhux tradizzjonali, billi nesperimenta b’materjali u tekniki ġodda. Permezz tal-enfasi fuq l-assurd, nipprova nagħti sens lid-dinja fejn ngħixu billi nistudja, nirriċerka u nippratika l-inġinerija patafiżika. Nibda b’oġġett ta’ interess għall-inġinerija mbagħad inżarma l-parti, inpinġiha mill-ġdid, inħallatha mill-ġdid, nibdlilha l-iskop tagħha u nagħtiha kuntest ġdid. Imbagħad indaħħal lili nnifsi fl-assemblaġġ tar-riċerka u b’hekk, jiena, bħala komponent uniku, ta’ sikwit insir parti mill-magna akbar u fl-istess ħin nibda djalogu intimu bejn min ikun qed jara l-proġett u s-suġġett. Ir-riżultat li joħroġ jittraversa l-umur, id-dinja naturali, in-nostalġija u l-inġinerija għax dak li kien jinbidel għal dejjem, jisfratta u saħansitra jitkisser. Hu wkoll wieħed li jista’ jitkompla, jitranġa u jiġi restawrat. Ix-xogħol jirriżulta f’narrattiva drammatika li tiġi kkomunikata lil min ikun qed jara l-proġett permezz ta’ diversi mezzi bħall-film, l-arti u d-disinn.
“Ħbiberiji fl-Inġinerija” huwa proġett tal-arti li għandu l-għan li jgħaqqad żewġ individwi li jaqsmu interess simili fl-inġinerija mekkanika iżda jgħixu fuq naħat opposti tal-Ewropa. Il-proġett se jgħaqqad individwu wieħed mill-Iskozja (jien stess) bbażat fin-Netherlands, ma’ Carmelo Ritchie, mekkanik tal-karozzi Malti. Aħna ltqajna b’kumbinazzjoni fir-rebbiegħa tal-2022. Jien u Charlie tkellimna dwar affarijiet ordinarji bħal skrejjen, skorfini u viti iżda wkoll dwar affarijiet aktar serji bħall-familja, il-wirt, il-komunità, l-importanza tal-konverżazzjonijiet u ovvjament, il-ħolqien tal-oġġetti. L-idea ta’ dan il-proġett hu li żewġ persuni jinvolvu ruħhom f’sensiela ta’ attivitajiet u konverżazzjonijiet dwar l-inġinerija mekkanika li, fl-aħħar mill-aħħar, iwasslu għall-ħolqien ta’ proġett tal-arti. Dan il-proġett jista’ jieħu għamliet differenti, fosthom il-ħolqien ta’ tagħmir mekkaniku ġdid, l-organizzazzjoni ta’ sessjonijiet ta’ ħidma mal-komunità usa’, jew il-produzzjoni ta’ film dokumentarju qasir li jesplora r-rwoli tal-kulturi ta’ inġinerija periferiċi f’Malta. Nixtieq li x-xogħol jiġi kkurat u muri f’esibizzjoni fl-aħħar tar-residenza li tkun tinkludi ritratti, videos, u deskrizzjonijiet tal-proġett.
Ispirata minn laqgħa ma’ Carmelo Richie, mekkanik f’Malta, din il-prestazzjoni tisfida l-kultura tagħna li oġġetti jintremew billi tenfasizza l-valur tat-tiswija ta’ oġġetti ta’ kuljum. F’dinja fejn kollox huwa sostitwibbli, din il-prestazzjoni tfittex li tevalwa mill-ġdid u tiddefinixxi mill-ġdid ir-relazzjoni tagħna mal-konsum, ir-reżistenza u l-komunità. In-nies li jżuru, jitgħallmu jsewwu, u jaraw li huma parti minn dan ix-xogħol.
Data u Ħin: Il-Ġimgħa 21 ta’ Ġunju 1pm sas-Sibt 22 ta’ Ġunju 1pm
Post: Valletta Design Cluster
Waqt vjaġġ lejn Malta, ltqajt ma’ Carmelo Richie fuq quddiem tal-workshop miftuħ tiegħu. Kien bilqiegħda ħdejn il-bankina, jagħżel il-viti, u bdejt nitkellem miegħu. Tgħallimt li kien mekkanik ta’ erbgħin sena, b’wirt Skoċċiż, u ndunajt li hemm Suzuki Samurai pparkjata warajh. Eżatt bħali, kellu l-esperjenza li jiffissa fuq l-4×4 Ġappuniż. Dak in-nhar wara nofsinhar dawwarni fil-workshop tiegħu, urieni kull dettall u rrakkonta mill-ġdid l-istejjer wara kull ritratt. Filwaqt li l-karozzi jżommu l-valur tagħhom permezz tat-tiswija, ħafna oġġetti ta’ kuljum ma jibqgħux ta’ valur u ħafna drabi jintremew minħabba li jkunu irħas u sostitwibbli.
F’din il-prestazzjoni ta’ tiswija ta’ 24 siegħa, se nokkupa kamra bit-twieqi, viżibbli għall-pubbliku, hekk kif nipprova nsewwi varjetà ta’ oġġetti li n-nies iġibu. Il-kamra se tkun maqsuma f’żewġ sezzjonijiet: waħda għal oġġetti msewwija b’suċċess u oħra għal dawk meqjusa bħala irreparabbli jew dawk li ma tlestewx minħabba restrizzjonijiet ta’ ħin. Din id-dikotomija viżiva se tqanqal ħsieb dwar ir-relazzjoni tagħna mal-kultura materjali u l-konsum, billi tfassal linja bejn il-bidla ta’ Malta lejn mentalità tal-punent, kapitalista, materjalista u l-kultura ta’ Għawdex aktar tradizzjonali, awtosuffiċjenti u bil-mod.
L-udjenza se tkun xhieda tal-proċess ta’ tiswija u l-isfidi inerenti li jiffaċċjaw il-prodotti moderni. Din il-prestazzjoni għandha l-għan li tevoka fehim aktar profond tal-valur, is-sostenibbiltà, u l-ħila li spiss tiġi injorata tat-tiswija. Barra minn hekk, se josservaw ir-reżistenza ta’ korp li jipprova jirreplika dik ta’ linja ta’ produzzjoni.
L-udjenza tista’ ġġib l-oġġetti tagħha għat-tiswija matul il-ġurnata u tirċievi assistenza fit-tiswija tal-oġġetti tagħha stess. M’hemm l-ebda limitu għal liema oġġetti jistgħu jissewwew. Filgħaxija, l-udjenza tista’ tara l-prestazzjoni ta’ 24 siegħa minn barra t-tieqa.
kien ispirat minn Carmelo Richie, mekkanik tal-karozzi Malti li Sean iltaqa’ miegħu fl-2022. Waqt li kien qiegħed jarah jaħdem fil-ħanut tax-xogħol miftuħ tiegħu, jirranġa l-viti u jsewwi, ddeċieda jagħmel bħalu—u joffri li jsewwi oġġetti li jkunu ġabu magħhom persuni li jkunu għaddejjin, għal 24 siegħa. L-avveniment ixxandar b’mod dirett minn Spazju Kreattiv fuq YouTube.
Hi I’m Sean Fisher an Artist from Scotland and New Zealand and based in the Netherlands.
My practice blends mechanical engineering and pataphysics. I’m fascinated by metamorphosis and transformation, turning a critical eye towards our use of the planets finite resources and seek to reflect the dynamic nature of the world through multiple mediums, highlighting and responding to the absurd relationship we have towards fringe engineering cultures, and the interrelations between ecology, economics, communities and time. Whilst working I wear pataphysical goggles. Pataphysics is the science of imaginary solutions – this allows me to approach mechanical engineering, my first love, in a non-traditional way and experiment with new materials and techniques. By focusing on the absurd, I try to make sense of the world we live by studying, researching and practising pataphysical engineering. By starting with an object of engineering interest, I reverse engineer the part, re draw it, re mix it, re appropriate and re-contextualise it. Then by inserting myself into the assemblage of research, I, as a single component, often become part of the larger machine, generating an intimate dialogue between the viewer and the subject matter. But forever changing what it originally was, disrupting it, even breaking it. The resulting outcome is one which traverses’ humour, the natural world, nostalgia, and engineering. But also one that can be continued, refurbished and restored. The work results in a dramatic narrative that is communicated to the viewer in multiple media and across mediums, film, art and design.
“Engineering Friendships” is an art project that aims to connect two individuals who share a similar interest in mechanical engineering but live on opposite sides of Europe. The project will pair one individual from Scotland (myself) based in The Netherlands, with Camelo Ritchie, a Maltese car mechanic. We serendipitously met in Spring 2022. Myself and Charlie spoke about mundane things such as screws, nuts and bolts but also larger things like family, heritage, community, the importance of conversation and of course, making things. The idea for this project is for two people to engage in a series of activities and conversations centred around mechanical engineering, ultimately leading to the creation of an art project. This project will take on many forms of course, new mechanical devices could be made, workshops with the larger community may be undertaken, or even a short documentary film explaining what the roles of fringe engineering cultures are like in Malta. I would like for the work to be curated and showcased in an exhibition at the end of the residency, to include photos, videos, and descriptions of the project.
Inspired by an encounter with Carmelo Richie, a mechanic in Malta, this performance challenges our disposable culture by highlighting the value of repairing everyday objects. In a world where everything is replaceable, this performance seeks to re-evaluate and re define our relationship with consumption, endurance and community.
The people visiting, learning to repair and watching as the night draws in, are inherently part of the work.
Date and Time: Friday 21st of June 1pm to Saturday 22nd of June 1pm
Location: Valletta Design Cluster
During a trip to Malta, I met Carmelo Richie at the front of his open workshop. He was sitting sort screws by the pavement and I started bothering him, I learnt he was a mechanic of forty years, with Scottish heritage and the saw a Suzuki Samurai parked behind him. He, just like me shared the same experience of fixing the Japanese 4×4. We bonded that afternoon as he walked me through his workshop showing me every detail, retelling the stories behind each photo. While cars retain their value through repair, many everyday objects do not, often discarded due to their cheap and replaceable nature.
In this 24-hour repair performance, I will occupy a windowed room, visible to the public, as I attempt to repair a variety of objects that people bring. The room will be divided into two sections: one for successfully repaired items and another for those deemed irreparable or due to the time constraints I didn’t complete. This visual dichotomy will provoke thought on our relationship with our material culture and our relationship with consumption. Drawing a line between Malta’s head towards westerns capitalistic materialistic mindset and Gozo more traditional self-sufficient and slow living culture.
The audience witness the process of repair and the inherent challenges faced by the products created nowadays. This performance aims to evoke a deeper understanding of value, sustainability, and the often-overlooked skill of mending. And of course they witness the endurance, of a body trying to replicate that of a production line.
The audience is able to come and bring their objects for repair during the day, and also be able to be assisted on repairing their own object. There’s no limit on what objects you can repair. In the evening the audience can view the 24 hour performance from outside the window.
This live-streamed performance (June 21–22, 2024) was inspired by Carmelo Richie, a Maltese car mechanic Sean met in 2022. Watching him work in his open workshop, sorting screws and making repairs, he decided to mimic his actions—offering to fix objects brought in by passersby over 24 hours. The event was live-streamed from Spazju Kreattiv on YouTube.
Cut From the Same Cloth, 2024
Consists of Hammerite-on-steel seascapes, where closed-caption words narrate the Mediterranean’s soundscape. Everyday noises—waves, engines, birds—become layered with unseen narratives, shifting between the familiar and the unsettling.
The Debt of Gratitude, 2024
An absurdist drama with a magic realist twist, shot on 16mm documentary footage in Malta. It follows a traveller who arrives to repay an old debt but, upon leaving, acquires a new one, exploring themes of exchange, time, and transformation.