An artist has replaced the Maltese flag at the national art museum with one missing the George Cross, putting colonial symbolism and national identity in the spotlight.
Keit Bonnici's new guerilla performance piece has two names: ‘In dependence’ or ‘Għandna salib’.
He designed a flag exactly the same size as that hanging in one of the corridors at MUŻA. However, it has one key difference. His design eliminated the George Cross from the white field and replaced it with a red squarish border.
Bonnici draped the copy over the existing flag and placed a cushion in the shape of the George Cross at the foot of the pole.
Photo: Charlene Galea“It's Independence Day. We carry a flag. Flags are graphic symbols that represent us globally. These are important. The George Cross is an important aesthetic element which carries lots of meaning,” Bonnici told Times of Malta.
“Do we really want the George Cross on our flag? What does it say about us? Who do we want to be as a nation? What does it mean to put the George Cross on our graphic identity? Where should we place or store our medals?”
The George Cross was awarded to the people of Malta by King George VI on April 15 1942 to "bear witness to the heroism and devotion of its people" after the island was besieged by heavy bombing during WWII while still a British colony.
It was incorporated into the flag of Malta in 1943, originally appearing on a blue canton, but later changed to a red fimbriation following Malta’s independence in 1964, to make the cross appear less prominent.
The presence of the George Cross on the flag remains a somewhat divisive issue among the Maltese, with historians and civilians alike frequently debating on whether this should be retained or done away with entirely.
Proponents of keeping the George Cross on the flag see it as an important part of the island’s military history, a sign of honour awarded to a small nation that showed courage and bravery in the face of great adversity.
Its detractors however see the cross as an outdated relic of colonial imperialism on the island and view its continued presence on the flag as a sign of servility and a mark of British possession.
Asked if his artwork was meant to communicate support for either side of the issue, Bonnici said he preferred viewers to come away with their own thoughts on the matter.
“I have my own opinion but it’s not important for now. I think the artwork speaks for itself.”
Having exhibited some of his work at MUŻA in June, he said that wandering the corridors of the museum had him thinking about creating ‘In dependence’.
“MUŻA is the official place for art on the island. It represents art and artists. As an artist I felt this is the place to relate to,” Bonnici said.
“An art museum also represents who we are as a nation and how the story is told. Are we telling history through an independent country veil? Do we look at things through a colonial veil?”
This is not the first time Bonnici has tackled the presence of colonial symbols in Maltese society.
Still waiting for reply from Queen Elizabeth
Last year, he weighed in on a debate on whether a statue of Queen Victoria which sits in Valletta’s Republic Street should be moved to Gozo.
Bonnici made and sent a postcard to Queen Elizabeth II asking her to weigh in on whether her ancestor’s effigy on the island should be relocated.
“I was a part of an exhibition by Momentum in an old lottery booth in Senglea where we were exhibiting postcards. And postcards are meant to be sent, so I thought I would send one to Queen Elizabeth to find out what she thinks about the debate surrounding her great-great-grandmother, after all, she is the closest living relative,” Bonnici told Times of Malta at the time.
“I have included my return address. I’m expecting a reply.”
No stranger to difficult conversations, Bonnici also created the custom artwork ‘Perch’, which allowed him to sip on a home-brewed coffee on the ledge of the hotly contested outdoor dining space at is-Suq tal-Belt.