Weathered and worn, the sculpted rock face of the Maltese coastline stands as a silent witness to the passage of time, reminding us of the beauty that emerges from impermanence. ALEX ATTARD speaks with Lara Zammit about his photographic works documenting our slowly-eroding coasts.

Fragmented Sculptures of an Island Coast – a new exhibition by Alex Attard showing at Marie Gallery 5 in Tigné, Sliema – features a selection of limited-edition works taken from the publication Exposure published last year in collaboration with Kite group.

The works tell of an eight-year-long journey documenting the interface where land meets the sea. Cliffs mark an imposing threshold along the Maltese coast at once revealing the possibilities lying beyond and closing us off into insularity. 

Photographer Alex Attard

“Photographs of untouched coastal landscapes can evoke a sense of tranquillity and a connection to nature which unfortunately is becoming rare in todays’ busy urban environments,” says Attard in a conversation with architectural historian Conrad Thake in Exposure.

“They allow us to experience the raw beauty, power and, at the same time, the fragility of the natural world, reminding us of the importance of preserving these spaces.”

Photographed up-close at sea level, there is minimal presence of human intervention, says the artist, which provides an almost unspoiled view of the coastline, allowing us to appreciate its intrinsic beauty.

Between Delimara and Filfla

Attard says his images serve as a powerful reminder of the need to protect and conserve our precious habitats.

“They offer a most welcome refuge and mental escape, inviting viewers to envision themselves in these serene and unspoiled coastal settings,” he continues in his conversation with Thake.

Attard says the unique intersection of where land meets sea represents a delicate balance of natural forces, where the terrestrial world converges with the aquatic realm.

“This dynamic interplay, the rugged rock-face, the shadow and light, profoundly influenced the way this project was approached. It’s a space of constant change since millennia, shaped by tides, erosion, and the ever-shifting coastline.

Coastline West Coast

“It emphasises the need to capture and document these landscapes and allow their inherent beauty and complexity to take centre stage.”

Attard explains he intended to capture the beauty of these coastal landscapes in black and white as testimony to the timeless and elemental nature of these environments.

“Stripped of colour, these photographs accentuate the essential forms, textures, and contrasts that define the costal interface,” he continues in his conversation with Thake.

Comino East Coast

Attard is a Malta-based art and architecture photographer. His aesthetic varies from the stark and minimal, to quasi abstract, to figurative. He prefers to develop his work in series, in an attempt to scrutinise and explore a subject as extensively as possible.

Erosion is all around us

“Throughout the time I have been working on the project, it has emphasised the fact that we live with all kinds of erosion,” says Attard, speaking to Times of Malta.

“It is all around us – erosion of values, standards, resources, morals, space, truth.

“Climate erosion is more tangible particularly on a defenceless coastline exposed to extreme, natural elements. Except for commercial purposes, our coast is not given enough importance because, perhaps, we are not really looking at it the way we should.”

Delimara to Filfla

Attard made reference to a presentation given in 2021 by George Buhagiar and Christopher Gauci about the national problem of costal erosion. In a comparison they made around the Għar Lapsi area georeferencing and comparing old maps between 1909 and 2019 coastlines, they found that the total area eroded equates to 7,951sqm.

“I found this to be a shocking revelation that in 110 years we lost approximately seven tumoli of land in just this one area! This isn’t a problem particular to us of course, it’s a global issue.

“Unfortunately, only recently we had a horrible example of erosion which resulted in tragedy, where a young woman lost her life. We also lost a beloved, natural landmark, the Azure Window, to erosion.  “This exhibition as well as the accompanying book hope to highlight both the beauty and fragility of our coastline and create awareness about the effects and consequences of erosion.”

Fragmented Sculptures of an Island Coast, with works by Alex Attard and  curated by Maria Galea, runs at Marie 5 Gallery until September 25.