Bursting forth to the sound of Gregorian chants and the signature sounds of one of Malta’s most recognisable contemporary composers, the video dance La Pietà promises to be a considerable departure from traditional Holy Week imagery. Ruben Zahra speaks to Lara Zammit about his latest project and the ideas that spurred it into being.
Your video dance project was formed as a reproduction of Michelangelo’s Pietà. What about Michelangelo’s sculpture inspired you to create this piece?
The Pietà is a subject depicted by many artists portraying the Madonna cradling the dead body of Christ. Undoubtedly, the most famous Pietà sculpture is by Michelangelo Buonarroti which depicts the Madonna as a young woman. I always found this detail very intriguing. The Madonna seems to be younger than her son.
A scene from the video dance La Pietà.Furthermore, the Christ figure is portrayed as a beautiful athletic nude with no hint of pain or torture. The male figure seems to be resting peacefully with the hint of a smile, stretched across his mother’s lap.
If you suspend the religious narrative, you realise that we have a sculpture of a beautiful young couple.
There are some conspicuous differences between your piece and Michelangelo’s, particularly in the reversal of genders that you employ and even the alteration of the mother-son relation of the original to, seemingly, a relation between lovers in your piece. What is the significance of these differences?
In my work I am driven by visual poetry. I don’t have a message. Every person who encounters this work will inevitably come up with his/her own narrative. The aesthetic impact of reversing the male and female characters on Michelangelo’s Pietà sculpture came to me a few years ago… and kept haunting me ever since.
In my work I am driven by visual poetry. I don’t have a message. Every person who encounters this work will inevitably come up with his/her own narrative
So, in my interpretation, the youthful male in Mary’s monumental drapery cradles a beautiful female nude on his lap. The girl, just like Michelangelo’s Christ, does not reveal any sign of torment. Throughout the choreography, the couple are intertwined in a relationship that explores a wide range of emotions, from tender embrace to raw sensuality.
What is the underlying purpose of your piece? Is it intended to challenge certain cultural identities we may hold, or is it intended to broaden the scope of what we may gather from the events of Holy Week, despite the religious and theological subtleties already at work here?
Sacred art usually resides within very orthodox boundaries. I enjoy art that has the capacity to jolt the public to reflect beyond traditional conventions. Then again, my concern is primarily the artistic attribute of the work.
In this project, I developed the concept, composed the music, directed the movement – in collaboration with choreographer Francesca Tranter – and edited the video.
The success of the project is a group effort which includes the stunning light design of Moritz Zavan Stoeckle, the commitment of dance artists Julia Lundberg and Chakib Zidi, Sam Chetcuti’s meticulous filming, Ritienne Zammit’s costume design and Jackie Grima’s make-up.
La Pietà video dance project is first and foremost an artwork… with the capacity to provoke a healthy conversation.
La Pietà was scheduled to premiere as a life-sized video installation at Spazju Kreattiv between the March 11 and April 4. This was not possible due to current COVID-19 restrictions. Whoever wishes to view the video dance project online can visit https://youtu.be/uoD2Coq_sNI