ARTS FESTIVALS

Opera is Gozo: Aida

After a two-year wait due to the pandemic, Giuseppe Verdi’s classic opera Aida will be staged at Gozo’s Aurora Theatre today. The event marks the opening of the 2022-23 theatre season in Gozo.

Set in Ancient Egypt, Aida is a timeless story of love and betrayal against the backdrop of war. 

Among many others in the cast, Serena Farnocchia will perform in the title role while Antonello Palombi will be Radames and Oksana Volkova will be Amneris.

The opera will feature scenery by world-famous director Franco Zeffirelli and costumes by his lifelong colleague, Anna Anni.

Stage direction is in the hands of Vivien Hewitt. For more information, log on to teatruaurora.com. The event is sold out.

The opera forms part of the Opera is Gozo festival. As part of the progamme, a temporary exhibition titled L'Oltretomba featuring ancient Egyptian funerary artefacts is on display at the Gozo Cathedral Museum until today.

For more information about the festival and to download the full programme, visitgozo.com.

Altofest Valletta 2022 special edition

Nine international artists are living and working in the homes of nine residents and families in Valletta this week as part of an international contemporary live arts festival.

Altofest was born in Naples in 2011 and spread internationally through different special editions. The idea behind the human-specific project is to turn homes into performance spaces and reimagine a city as a community, united through art.

Based on the theme 'Out of the Blue', the Valletta performances will invite one to dive into unusual, unexpected dimensions that seem to come out of the blue. They include a documentary performance, a contemporary dance duet and a number of hybrid performances.

Performances are being held until tomorrow. 

The project is curated by TeatrInGestAzione and the Malta edition is co-produced with the Valletta Cultural Agency, in partnership with the Valletta Design Cluster and with the support of the Istituto Italiano di Cultura La Valletta and EU-Japan Fest.

For more information about the project, visit www.teatringestazione.com/altofest/valletta2022/.

THEATRE

Ta’ Fuqha Senduqha

An original play in Maltese inspired by real-life accounts of poverty in Malta is being staged at Spazju Kreattiv in Valletta until October 23.

Penned by André Mangion and directed by Toni Attard, Ta’ Fuqha Senduqha stars Michela Farrugia as Ruth, a girl with a good head on her shoulders who finds herself homeless and straddling the poverty line.

The play, certified 16+, also stars Josette Ciappara, Charles Sammut, Sharon Bezzina and Clint Chircop.

In collaboration with YMCA, the production is holding a food drive to help 150 people including 75 families, with 55 people living in YMCA facilities. For more information, visit www.udjenza.com. For tickets, click here.

They Blew Her Up

After being staged in Brussels, Belgium, and Ferrara, Italy, They Blew Her Up is being performed again in Malta, to coincide with the fifth anniversary of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia’s assassination.

Written and directed by Times of Malta editor-in-chief Herman Grech, the play was conceived from a series of interviews carried out with the protagonists of the murder and sources, as well as court testimonies. It stars Kim Dalli, Charlotte Grech, Jes Camilleri, Joe Azzopardi and Alan Paris.

They Blew Her Up, winner of the Production of the Year at Arts Council Malta’s Premju Għall-Arti, is being staged at Theatre Next Door in Magħtab until tomorrow. The event is sold out.

Just Musicals

Kumpanija Teatru Rjal is marking its 30th anniversary with two nights dedicated to musicals at the Catholic Institute, in Floriana, today and tomorrow.

Taking part are George Curmi ‘il-Pusè’, together with his son, Bernard Curmi Jr, and singers Neville Refalo, Mark Tonna, Janvil, Debbie Scerri, Ritienne, Lawrence Gray, Leontine, Alexia, Mariah, Giada and Leah.

The event is under the musical direction of Joe Brown, stage direction by Ray Abdilla and artistic direction and production of Pawlu Testa.

For tickets, log on to www.kumpanijateatrurjal.com.

Żeża tal-Flagship

Hermann Bonaci Productions are staging the classic comedy Żeża tal-Flagship at the Manoel Theatre until tomorrow.

Mikielanġ Borg’s original script, written early in the last century, has been adapted into this new version by Joe Gatt. A list of new songs will be played live by the orchestra and sung by the actors.

For tickets, log on to teatrumanoel.com.mt.

FILM

Children’s Cinema Day

KRS Releasing Ltd is today holding Children’s Cinema Day.

Cinemas in Malta and Gozo are offering a selection of films for children with a reduced admission price for shows between 9am and 7pm.

These films are Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero (12A), The Bad Guys (PG), Jurassic World – Dominion (12A), Lightyear (U), Minions: The Rise of Gru (U), Thor: Love and Thunder (12A), Lyle Lyle Crocodile (TBA), DC League of Super Pets (PG) and Sonic: The Hedgehog 2 (PG).

For more information and screen times, visit the websites of local cinemas.

EUNIC Malta Film Festival 2022

Spazju Kreattiv in Valletta is this week hosting the EUNIC Malta Film Festival 2022.

EUNIC (European Union National Institutes for Culture) is the European network of organisations engaging in international cultural relations.

The embassies of Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and the UK, as well as the Alliance Française de Malte-Méditerranée, the Arts Council Malta, the Czech Cultural Centre/Embassy of the Czech Republic and the EU Commission Representation in Malta have been working together to set up the EUNIC Malta cluster.

The festival will feature 10 films on the themes of sustainability, whether social, economic or environmental.

Today, the Czech Cultural Centre Rome/Embassy of the Czech Republic is presenting the 2020 documentary Living Water (certified U) at 6pm, and the German Embassy is hosting the screening of the 2021 drama Toubab (certified 15) at 8.30pm.

Entrance is free of charge but tickets must be booked via www.kreattivita.org.  Films not in the English language will have subtitles.

MISCELLANEOUS EVENTS

Lejla f’Casal Paola

The Paola local council, in collabo­ration with Banda Paola, is presenting Lejla f’Casal Paola in Antoine De Paul Square today from 7pm onwards.

There will be various performances by Amber, Mike Spiteri, Chiara, Kantera and the Brightside Band, JoMike and Lydon, the Cittadella Folk Group and the Tave­rna Folk Group, among others. The Banda Paola will also be giving a concert under the baton of Mauro Spiteri. 

There will be artisanal works, an archery session, a vintage car exhibition, an exhibition by the Malta Rabbit Club and children’s games, among other activities.

Parking will be available at the Pace Grasso Ground. For more information, visit the event’s Facebook page.

International Kite and Wind Festival

The fifth edition of the Kite & Wind Festival is being held today and tomorrow in the area near San Dimitri chapel, in Għarb between 10am and 5.30pm.

Forty-four well-known international kite-fliers will participate and lead workshops on kite-making.

A park and ride service will be available from the Victoria bus terminus. For a detailed progamme of activities, visit the Għarb local council Facebook page.

Götheborg visit to Malta

The largest ocean-going wooden sailing ship in the world, Götheborg of Sweden, is currently in Malta as part of its Asia Expedition 2022/2023. Its mission is to promote Swedish-Asian trade and create new business opportunities. 

The vessel is moored at the Valletta Waterfront and the public is invited on board during the following hours: today, tomorrow and on Monday between 2 and 7.15pm (last entry at 6.30pm).

Visitors will learn about the history of the East India Companies and the adventures of the original Götheborg that sailed three times to Asia. Among others, they will also learn about modern tales of sailing an 18th-century ship, and about the exciting expedition to Asia. 

For tickets, click here.

Golden Buckle Malta

Over 200 horses and 100 European and American riders are in Malta to take part in a four-day competition at the Malta Mediterranean Conference Centre in Ta' Qali, where winners can take up to €150,000 in winning prizes.

Barrel racing, a fast-paced timed event, challenges the paired team of horse and rider to run a clover-leaf pattern around three barrels as fast as they can.  The sport is particularly popular in the US, especially Texas, but has gained attention in Europe, with Italy being the biggest market for the sport, followed by France, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic. The Malta event is featuring a number of world champion riders, as well as other participants from 10 countries, including one from Malta.

The races are complimented with a number of satellite events where one can meet the riders and other equestrian enthusiasts from across the world. The arena is transformed into an equestrian centre which will also host a food court, a large VIP stand and a chillout area.

The event is being streamed live on a number of international linear and digital platforms in Malta, Europe, the US and Brasil.

Golden Buckle Malta is being organised in collaboration with Visit Malta, the Malta Tourism Authority, the Ministry for Tourism, Equestri Malta, the Ministry for Education and Sports along with other supporting partners.

For tickets and more information, visit www.goldenbuckle.eu.

VISUAL ARTS

Imħaddra

The Razzett tal-Markiż cultural centre in Mosta is hosting a solo exhibition by Terezino Borg, a selt-taught artist who uses different mediums to portray nature.

The exhibition runs until tomorrow, October 16. Opening hours are Monday to Friday, from 6 to 8pm and Saturdays and Sundays from 9am to noon and from 6 to 8pm.

For more information, visit the Razzett tal-Markiż Facebook page.

Thread

A collective exhibition by Ebru Çinar, Stefan Spiteri and Bernice Vassallo is currently on at Il-Kamra ta' Fuq in Mqabba.

The three artists experiment a lot in the use of thread in their oeuvre. Apart from this medium, they are also bound by the thematic of nature and organic forms which are almost always present in their works.

The exhibition, curated by Art Sweven, runs until Monday, October 17. The gallery is open from Mondays to Saturdays from 6am to noon and on Sundays from 7am to noon. More evening hours are announced weekly on Il-Kamra ta' Fuq Facebook page.

Residue

Residue explores the definition of man's existence, through particles, negative spaces, generations, and the residuals we leave behind.

The exhibition, organised by Marie Gallery 5 and curated by Maria Galea, runs until October 21. Bureau Iniala is open from Monday to Friday from 9.30am to 5pm and on Saturday and Sunday for private viewings only.

Visit the event’s Facebook page for more info.

Also read the Times of Malta interview with the artist.

Resonances

An exhibition by the late maestro Pawlu Grech is being held at The Volunteer Centre, St Bartholomew Street, Rabat.

From an early age, Grech showed proficiency both for music and for the visual arts. It was a twinned passion that was to persist throughout his life. This exhibition celebrates both sides of Grech, its title Resonances evoking the characteristics of both his music and visual art.

The exhibition, organised by Amanda Tabone, is part of an initiative managed by the Malta Council for the Voluntary Sector ‘Art for VOs’ and will be in aid of Animal Guardian, Cat Sanctuary, Luqa.

Resonances runs until October 22. It is open from Tuesdays to Saturdays from 6 to 9pm and on Sundays from 10am to 1pm. Consult the event’s Facebook page for more information.

Read more about the artist and his work in this Times of Malta feature.

150 / Richard Ellis

The Richard Ellis Archive, consisting of 39,000+ glass negatives documenting the period in Malta and Gozo between 1861 and 1938, has been digitised in archival-grade quality for the first time in its history. 

The British-Maltese photographer (January 1842-December 1924) was one of the pioneers of photography in Malta during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Thirty large prints taken from his archive are currently on display at Spazju Kreattiv, Valletta, until October 23.

The exhibition is curated by Charles Paul Azzopardi and Ian Ellis. For more information, click here.

One may also read the Times of Malta interview with the collection's owner.

Essence

A solo exhibition of contemporary realistic works in oil by Christine Porter Lofaro is open at the Malta Society of Arts at Palazzo de la Salle in Valletta.

The artist portrays observations, emotions and narratives as she strives to present our transitory presence in this world, its intensity and how much it matters.

The exibition, curated by Charlene Calleja, runs until October 27. Opening hours: Monday to Friday from 8am to 7pm and on Saturdays from 9am to 1pm. For more information, click here.

Fuq Tlieta

Camilleri Paris Mode of Rabat is hosting an exhibition of paintings by three Maltese artists – Pawl Carbonaro, Jesmond Vassallo and Paul Camilleri.

Carbonaro is one of Malta’s foremost veteran artists, who is famous for his abstracts and semi-abstracted landscapes; Vassallo has a very varied oeuvre, ranging from landscapes to nudes to still lifes; while Camilleri is exhibiting his tactile abstracts that fit well with the works of the other two artists.

Fuq Tlieta is open until the end of October. Log on to the Camilleri Paris Mode Facebook page for more information.

Landmarks

Artist Fabio Borg is holding his eighth solo exhibition throughout the month of October at The Phoenicia, in Floriana.

Borg construed this collection of abstract landscapes, tilted Landmarks, as innate emotions being expressed onto canvas and painted by instinct. The paintings, therefore, become emotional landmarks that Borg invites the viewer to partake in.

Borg is sensitive to his surroundings and trees, or the seeming lack thereof, is one such issue often a topic of heated discussions. Therefore, these compositions, largely produced in the last two years, trees are the main protagonists in an idealised reinterpretation of nature.

Landmarks, on display at The Phoenicia’s Palm Court Lounge, is curated by Charlene Vella.

It’s 5 o’Clock Somewhere − A Collective Art Exhibition Exploring Guilty Pleasures 

A collective exhibition, being held at BOHO Boutique Hotel in Cospicua, is inspired by the famous phrase used when one craves an alcoholic drink at 10am, and to the sting of a guilty conscience, one declares that it is 5 o'clock somewhere in the world. 

The participating artists, Aaron Bezzina, Daniel Borg, Roderick Camilleri, Debbie Caruana Dingli, Rupert Cefai, Antoine Farrugia, Karl Froman, Lawrence Pavia, Amelia Saint George, Mario Sammut and Darren Tanti, are portraying such instances they have encountered during their artistic career.

The exhibition, curated by Melanie Erixon, runs until October 30. It is open daily from 10.30am till 1.30pm and on Wednesdays also from 7pm to 10pm. Click here for more information.

Architecture Student Expo 2022

A celebration of everything the Faculty for the Built Environment at the University of Malta does, is taking place at Spazju Kreattiv in Valletta.

The Architecture Student Expo is also an opportunity for the creativity of students and their ideas of future spaces and structures to be communicated to society through designs, sketches, digital graphics and architectural models.

The expo runs until October 30. For more information, visit the event’s Facebook page and kreattivita.org.

BioArt Alchemy: Works by Anna Dumitriu

Internationally renowned British bioartist Anna Dumitriu is exhibiting for the first time at Spazju Kreattiv in Valletta.

The artist uses bioart, sculpture, installation and digital media to explore a range of topics, from the origins of society to the sustainable production of biodegradable plastic, cutting-edge genetics and the possibility of bacterially-enhanced super-humans.

The project, a commission of Spazju Kreattiv, features a collaboration with artist Alex May. It is supported by Esplora Interactive Science Centre and Science in the City, Malta.

BioArt Alchemy runs until October 30. For more information, click here.

Funny How Time….

Artist Paul Caruana is showing his latest collection of works at Gemelli Framing in Ta' Qali until October 30.

Through a series of poignant watercolours, most of which have origins in the artist’s own biography, Caruana invites us to dwell on the past and learn lessons to alter the present so that the future might be worth living.

The exhibition runs until October 30. Consult the event’s Facebook page for opening hours.

Read the Times of Malta interview with the artist here.

Groundwaters

A collective exhibition featuring outsider art – an umbrella term coined for individuals producing art outside the culturally established centres – is taking place at Valletta Contemporary Gallery.

Titled Groundwaters, this exhibition is the first one in Malta to explore the perspectives of individuals who are somewhat marginalised, through their own design or otherwise, and who create work on the fringes of the mainstream. 

Curated by Gabriel Zammit, it features the works of Anonymous, Emma Attard, Adrian Camilleri, William Driscoll, Emma Johnson, Salvina Muscat and Joe Vassallo. It includes ex-voto paintings, West African Bocio fetish dolls and other objects which have their roots in religion, magic and ritual.

The exhibition runs until November 12. Opening hours: Wednesday to Sunday from 2 to 7pm. For more information, visit www.vallettacontemporary.com/.

Q’eros: Beyond the Clouds

Il-Ħaġar Museum and Community Cultural Centre in Victoria is hosting an exhibition by Italian photographer Alessandro Bergamini until November 27.

Eight of the photos on display won Bergamimi the Travel Photographer of the Year award in 2021 and five more were included in the book Humanity, which was chosen as the best photographic book for 2021 in the International Photography Awards. They will be accompanied with some 30 photos documenting the demanding Peru expedition earlier this year among the Q'eros community in the Andes. Visitors will be able to follow the filming on their mobile.

All the material is included in the exhibition catalogue, published as Il-Ħaġar GEMS 21. Also available are copies of Humanity, an assortment of photos highlighting peoples around the world.

The museum is open everyday from 9am to 5pm. Entrance is free. For more information, visit heartofgozo.org.mt/.

OTHER EXHIBITIONS

Meet the Phoenicians of Malta

A Phoenician stone sarcophagus excavated last year at Għajn Klieb, on the outskirts of Rabat, is one of the major attractions of an exhibition at the National Museum of Archaeology in Valletta.

The exhibition brings to light the results of months of painstaking studies by a multidisciplinary team researching the sarcophagus and two other tombs discovered in the area, as well as their contents. The three tombs, although inherently different, shed light on the burial rituals of the earliest Phoenicians on the island.

The exhibition runs until October 30. The museum in Republic Street, Valletta, is open from Monday to Sunday from 9am to 4.30pm. Entrance to the exhibition is free of charge.

Dumnikani fil-Palazz: Home & Temple

An exhibition at the Inquisitor's Palace in Vittoriosa tells of the special relationship between the palace and the neighbouring Dominican Order, especially in the post-war years.

Enemy war bombing in 1941 had left the Dominican community without a convent and a church, and they found temporary refuge beyond Vittoriosa. But they were called back by the need to fulfil their spiritual and educational mission among their people.

Eighty years ago, in August 1942, the Dominicans asked for temporary shelter at the Inquisitor’s Palace and, for almost two decades, the palace became the community’s home and temple.

The exhibition runs until January 8. The Inquisitor's Palace is open weekly from Tuesday to Sunday from 9am to 4.30pm.

whatson@timesofmalta.com