Learning from the Lecture Siege of Malta 1429 & The Art Collections of the Order of St John, authored by Dr Theresa Vella
Thursday 02 February 2023 at 1:20 pm
Yesterday I visited Mdina Cathedral, to listen to a talk of Prof Adrian Mario Gellel from the Faculty of Education from University of Malta about a symbols Literacy project his Department is conducting with year one pupils of Primary Schools in Malta.
The five year old explored the themes provided by the 16th Century painting of Mattio Preti in Mdina Cathedral.
The idea behind the project is to allow the painting to come to life through symbols.
Public Lecture 1493 Mdina Siege the 16th Century painting of Mattio Preti in Mdina Cathedral
Malta Micro and Macro Historical Dynamics
Standing mid-way between the western and eastern halves of the Mediterranean world with Sicily and Tunis 100 miles away, the place has a favourable position for multicultural interaction. A part of the Eastern Roman Empire or the Byzantines (sixth to ninth century, by 600 AC the island had a bishop subject to Syracuse), Musilim emirate (ninth to eleventh), Latin Christian Kingdom (11th to 13th cemtury) and Catalan-Aragonese affiliate (13th to 16th century). Malta boast a variaty of cultural experiences across two major divides: Muslim-Christian and Latin-Greek. Both Salini Bay cemeterial complex and St Paul’s Catacombs are Byzantine oratories. The basilica construction with a Christian baptistery, discovered at Tas-Silg was built on the site of an ancient Greek religious complex.
In September of 1429, the population of the island was 10,000 to 12,000 with 4,000 able to fight with just two main fortifications: Fort St Angelo and the Mdina bastions.
It is recorded that the soldiers were called “Guardia”, who used to guard the shores, and the “Dejma”, who used to guard the villages.
The Egyptian chronicler wrote that the Lord of Tunis sent a fleet with 200 horses and 15,000 fighters to Sicily where they took the town of Mazara and they moved on to Mdina (Malta) which they kept besieging. After they took 3000 people into slavery the siege was lifted.
What happens when you find a perfect note? What happens when you experience Samadhi listening to the perfect sound or observing a perfect painting? What happens when your consciousness expand to such an extend that it is blessed by divine, unexplainable, most subtle beauty?
Your Highest Potential is Waiting Blessing Poem by Natasa Pantovic
At a music concert of Armenian State Orchestra of around a 100 talented and for decades trained musicians a Master violinist took us to this magic state.
A grand piano recital of one of the best world pianist Grigory Sokolov entitled "The Legend is Back" took us onto a 3 hours journey through Haydn's sonatas and finished with 5 encores at midnight. While on this "single man on a piano" marathon, we as his audience stopped breathing with every pause he performed. He mastered his and the energy of entire Conference Centre crowd, taking us into the higher states of consciousness...
In every museum what gives it its heart, mind and soul is its permanent collection. If you wish to know what a museum is really about, it’s mission and objectives, keep your eye on the art it owns in long term.
The Milkmaid 1657 / 58 by Johannes Vermeer, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam Holland
The museum has total collection of 1 million objects collected over a period of 200 years of medieval art, jewelry, musical instruments. It regularly displays 8,000 of them, including the works of art of the two world most famous Dutch painters: Rembrandt and Vermeer. The museum collection was from its start independent, i.e. did not originate from the royal collection.
The Rijksmuseum is the national museum of the Netherlands
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam Building
Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam Holland was designed in 1885 by Pierre Cuypers. The main building was reopened in 2013, after an amazing ten years of renovation costing 375 million euros. Many of the old interior decorations were restored to their original glory.
"Did you know that a large, new building will take the place of the Trippenhuis in Amsterdam? That’s fine with me; the Trippenhuis is too small, and many paintings hang in such a way that one can’t see them properly."
Vincent van Gogh in a letter to his brother Theo, 1873
Portrait of a Young Couple (1622) by Frans Hals , Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam Holland
A metaphysical thread for the works of 4 artists: Maxine Attard, Charlie Cauchi, Roxman Romeo Gatt and Duška Malešević
Wednesday 21 December 2022 at 12:19 pm
In her press release for “AWOL” the gallery’s first group show at R Gallery, in Sliema, Malta, one of the curators Helena Staelens provides us with a clue to the title AWOL, absent from where one should be; a void or missing relationship she sees between various forms of art. This group exhibition featured an assemblage of works by Maxine Attard, Charlie Cauchi, Roxman Romeo Gatt and Duška Malešević.
R Gallery Malta Exhibition Awol, A metaphysical thread for the works of 4 artists Maxine Attard, Charlie Cauchi, Roxman Romeo Gatt and Duška Maleševic
I’ve seen the works when visited the event where artists spoke about their practice and body of work presented in this show. This gathering was skillfully moderated by Sam Vassallo, where the public was invited to an evening of artistic discussions.
The red sofa that greet the viewer upon entry was the center stage for the discourses about absence. Metaphysically transcending each personal artistic story to “AWOL” or a Void. “In the physical experience it can allude to a subject that is not visible or tangible, yet still present. In a nostalgic sense, it connects as something that has faded, disappeared or is lost in time, kept alive in the residues of personal and collective memory. In a framework of the corporeal, bodily transformation simultaneously fills and creates absence in the material world, often defying social approval and norms.” The exhibition story board narrates.
The open call to participate was available on Blitz’s website and social media.
The event featured participants of every age and background, artists from disciplines as diverse as Pop music, Opera, Tango, Capoeira, Breakdance, Ballet, Gymnastics, etc.
Natasa Pantovic dancing through Vallletta Blitz
On the 30th of June 2022, Zebbug B.P. Band set the rhythm as passers-by were invited to join the dancers procession. THe message was to re-gain our public spaces, celebrating life, in a rebirth of community making.
Find Nataša dancing in red, with Ema Pantovic singing on the Casino's balcony with a dear friend Sabina playing instruments 4 Daphnie (killed journalist)
2022 BLITZ VALLETTA and MARINELLA SENATORE’S SCHOOL OF NARRATIVE DANCE, Malta video
by @saradolfiagostini
SOMETHING ABOUT YOU Exibition was held at Blitz Valletta, curated by Sara Dolfi Agostini and featuring a newly developed artwork from the School of Narrative Dance performance held in Republic Street Valletta.
