An art exhibition, set up as part of Bank of Valletta’s 50th anniversary celebrations, was inaugurated at MUŻA, the National Museum of Art, in Valletta.

The exhibition, Inwaħħdu xbihat minn kullimkien, is a showcase of the bank’s vast collection of modern and contemporary artworks. Its title is taken from Achille Mizzi’s poem Skorfon (Il-Kantiku tad-Demm), reflecting the vast collection of artworks on display, and drawing its imprint from the nature of the exhibits and the way the bank’s art collection evolved over the years.

BOV’s collection is, by Maltese standards, a very large one, counting over 900 pieces. It has evolved rather randomly, with works that were primarily meant to decorate reception areas, offices and boardroom walls. They largely date from the 1970s to the early 2000s and most were purchased directly from the artists.

The works, by both prominent and less established artists, reflect the realities of the Maltese art scene, and vary in style and, understandably, significance. They largely include landscape paintings and abstract pieces, and are mostly executed in traditional media, without breaking much into experimental forms.

During the inauguration, BOV chairperson Gordon Cordina said the bank has always been at the forefront in supporting the community at large and the local art and culture scene.

The exhibition catalogue

“This is yet another event where the bank is looking to the past but investing in the future, seeking to leave behind a better world for those who come after us,” he said.

He added that curator Keith Sciberras “did a sterling job in identifying and highlighting the work of the protagonists in a curated display that mirrors much of the artistic concerns and production of modern and contemporary art in Malta”.

Kenneth Farrugia, the bank’s CEO, said that during its 50-year history, BOV has also provided continuous support to the local artistic scene since this forms part of BOV’s community investment in arts and culture.

“As the leading bank in Malta, we are constantly committed in nurturing artistic talent, for the benefit of the local community. We are proud to host this event and give the visiting public a unique opportunity to experience local art at its best. These initiatives are supportive of our ESG strategy which resides at the core of the bank’s strategic initiatives.  It is the firm intent of the bank to continue investing in the local talent in the years ahead of us.”

Colour, light, form and expression unite this exhibition

Farrugia also made reference to the bank’s social initiatives, forming part of the bank’s CSR programme.

“These initiatives are aligning with other efforts we are taking to support our ESG strategy to give back to the local community. This is highly important for us, and we will continue to focus our efforts on unique opportunities that will be of benefit to the community that we service,” he said.

Curator Sciberras explained that the concept of the exhibition flows through three main chapters, or rooms, set out in the Camerone of MUŻA.  They are respectively dedicated to works on paper (karta/paper), landscapes (art/earth), and abstract works (ħsieb/mind). A smaller, but “significant”, room is dominated by one single, large figurative work by Anton Calleja.

The exhibition, he added, also combines art and poetry in a dialogue that mirrors the ‘ut pictura poesis’ tradition, where poetry and painting engage in a dialogue or friendly ‘paragon’. The poet of choice is Mizzi, and extracts from his work, selected by Immanuel Mifsud, accompany the titles of the exhibition rooms.

Sciberras said that the 58 works from the 32 artists on show display considerable visual coherence but, at the same time, underline individual interests and idioms.

“The concerns here are mainly with aesthetics and rendering,  and notably do not engage in depth with commentary on political and social controversies and debates of that time. Colour, light, form and expression unite [iwaħħdu] this exhibition,” he said.

“In many ways, this reflects the general character of Maltese modern art.”

The exhibition runs until September 8.