Joseph Agius talks to artist PAUL SCERRI and curator ANDREW BORG WIRTH about his latest sculpture installation Versus at the Inquisitor’s Palace in Vittoriosa.

JA: Versus, the title itself indicates polarities, perhaps a struggle. Good and bad, ripeness and decay. The graphical design of the title itself suggests a reflection, maybe two sides of a coin. Can you both elaborate on this?

ABW: Versus denotes a confrontation, a conflict, the seven cardinal sins matched with the seven heavenly virtues. This duality was always important in the conception of the installation. The graphical communication was however unplanned. The installation refers to something the viewer actually perceives and its implicit reflection. Duality is the underlying theme as in contemporary art in dialogue and confrontation with heritage. Another duality I must mention is the setting up of the dinner table in a chapel.

PS: I didn’t favour a cliched direct title such as ‘the seven cardinal sins versus seven virtues’. I discussed with Andrew and we chose to focus on something more ambiguous - just ‘versus’.

ABW: The whole thing evolved organically and also focuses on the reflection in the plate. The French term sous verre defines this, as the image is beneath the apple. It was interesting to play around with these meanings curatorially.

Envy. Photo: Lisa Attard

JA: Seven apples are shown in various stages of decay or consumption and offered on silver platters, maybe as an opulent formal meal or a decadent banquet. Why apples, maybe representations of the biblical apple that tempted Eve and that led to the downfall from a state of grace?

PS: The apple is synonymous with the biblical original sin. I have not represented all the apples as decayed, in fact Pride is perfect. Decay has set in in Envy, which, in my opinion, is the worst sin of all even though some claim that it is pride. I presented the sins in a sequence, starting from what I think is the gravest sin, in decreasing order of magnitude, Envy, then Greed and Pride. These three sins I have grouped together because their dreadful cumulative effect, that I find very irksome, is universal and affects people in general.

The effect of Lust, Gluttony, Wrath and Sloth lies in the more strictly personal.

The sin of envy is destructive both for the victim and the perpetrator. The latter is never pleased with what he or she possesses and longs for what could be unattainable through honest means.

The representation of rot is beautiful in Paul’s work. It looks at human imperfection, which Paul artistically glorifies; thus, it becomes quite stunning- Andrew Borg Wirth

The apple, the symbol of the original sin, is perfect and sumptuous in Pride; the rot has set in just in Envy and Wrath. These two sins presented me with the most difficulty in representation. Gluttony was easy as a consumed apple; Greed was about decoration while Pride related to perfection. Wrath, dehydrated and rotten, is self-consuming. Envy is rotten and mouldy. Sloth is an empty plate, no apple at all, symbolising absolute apathy and disinterest.

ABW: Ironically, the representation of rot is beautiful in Paul’s work. It looks at human imperfection, which Paul artistically glorifies; thus, it becomes quite stunning. This kind of contrast is seminal.

JA: In what way did the Inquisitor’s Palace in Vittoriosa lend itself to the success of the installation?

PS: I started thinking about concepts and working on this installation in 2021. Some of the apples were eventually replaced. I have other apples which were rejected.

When I discussed the whole idea with the curator at the Inquisitor’s Palace, Kenneth Cassar, he immediately suggested the chapel; I loved the idea, it being a space in which who knows how many sins had been confessed. Initially, I played with the idea of placing the apples in seven prison cells within the complex. However, I discounted this as a cell implies condemnation and possible redemption through incarceration. I wasn’t for transcendence and a return to grace.

Envy (detail). Photo: Lisa Attard

The Inquisitorial Tribunal was another option which presented accessibility limitations because of its low doors. Besides this, on a conceptual level, historically, justice was sometimes denied there as not all prosecuted were guilty of crime, some of them were innocent. The sala nobile was still another option. Andrew suggested that we present the installation in a state of transition, symbolising a reconciliatory process, via the table straddling two defined architectural spaces.

ABW: The historical context of the Inquisition and the feeling of overpowering and overbearing judgement is something we wanted to exploit for Versus. Transcending that, the element of surprise is fundamental. I didn’t curate for an audience that knows what to expect and encounter. One just happens to come across the installation; that is very exciting curatorially. This is a collaboration that Heritage Malta enabled, and I hope we can work more together in the future because it’s one way that art can communicate.

PS: I would like to point out that, contrary to traditional official inaugurations, the usual goblet of wine, bland sandwiches and all, we paired the whole thing with Taste History, specifically for that day. Research was conducted for period recipes that had apples as ingredients. Thus, the audience could therefore relish the holistic dimension of Versus. It was not just about the apples for their own sake.

Versus, curated by Andrew Borg Wirth and hosted by Vittoriosa’s Inquisitor’s Palace, is on until December 30. Consult the artist’s Facebook page for more information.