MUSIC
Isle of MTV Malta Music Week 2023
Grammy-nominated band One Republic and popular global producer DJ Alesso are headlining this year’s music festival taking place on July 18 at the Granaries in Floriana. Tom Grennan and Mimi Webb are joining the star-studded line-up.
The festival will be followed by the Isle of MTV Malta Music Week, a series of club nights and parties across various venues.
These are: the Isle of MTV Official Afterparty, at Marrakech, Gianpula, also on July 18; Club MTV presents Switch Disco, at Toy Room Malta in Paceville on July 19; IOMTV MMW Boat Party on July 20; G7 Fridays ft. DJs from Mars Fridays, at Gianpula Mainroom on July 21; Day Pool Party at Bora Bora Ibiza Malta Resort in St Paul's Bay on July 22; Toy Room Saturdays at Toy Room Club, Paceville, on July 22; and a Cafe del Mar special ft. Acraze on July 23.
Tickets from isleofmtv.com.
Il piano solo del Maestro Alonso
Spanish pianist Manuel Tévar will present a solo piano recital at the Malta Society of Arts in Valletta on July 18 at 8pm.
The concert forms part of the EU23 Spanish presidency of the Council of the European Union and is organised by the Spanish Embassy in Malta.
For more info, visit artsmalta.org.
Spanish pianist Manuel Tévar. Photo: Facebook/Manuel TévarUnplugged – Midweek in the Park
Project Green is hosting a series of unplugged performances every Wednesday in July at the new Green Open Campus in Mosta.
This week, Xarulù and Kevin Paul will perform, while Bernie and Pod and Claudia Faniello will hit the stage on July 26.
Performances start at 7pm. Entrance is free but one has to register on project.green/unplugged.
Xarulù. Photo: Images by Nina AdamsMichael Jackson Meets Abba
The Malta Concert Orchestra, under the direction of Joe Brown, will pay tribute to the ‘King of Pop’ Michael Jackson and the legendary Swedish group Abba at Pjazza Teatru Rjal in Valletta on July 21 at 8.30pm.
Participating singers include Neville Refalo, Ritienne Azzopardi, Dario Bezzina and Cherylis Camillleri.
Tickets are available from ticketline.com.mt.
Xwejni Music Fest
On July 21, the Żebbuġ local council in collaboration with the Ministry for Gozo and the Cultural Heritage Directorate, is hosting the second edition of the music festival at the Qolla l-Bajda Battery, limits of Xwejni Bay, Marsalforn.
Performers on the night are local acts Kurt Calleja and Band, Jolene Samham, Clint, Ryan Spiteri and Micimago and international star Haddaway, best known for his 1990s anthem What is Love?
The event starts at 8.30pm. Entrance is free. For more information, visit the event's Facebook page.
Haddaway will be performing at the Xwejni Music Fest on July 21. Photo: Shuttterstock.comDaniel Sant debut album launch
Maltese pianist Daniel Sant is launching his debut album at the Malta Society of Arts in Valletta on July 21 at 8pm.
He will be playing pieces from his album Catharsis, which he wrote mostly during the COVID period and his first year at HKU Utrecht Conservatory, the Netherlands.
Entrance is free. For more information, visit artsmalta.org.
Italian Dire Straits live in Malta
The tribute act Italian Dire Straits will be performing in Triq il-Kappella, San Ġwann, on July 21, with proceeds from the event going to Puttinu Cares.
They will perform some of the band’s greatest hits, such as Sultans of Swing, Money for Nothing and Walk of Life.
The concert starts at 9pm. Entrance is free.
Prior to the concert, an event for all the family, titled Honey the Kids Summer Edition, featuring children's animation, dancing and games, among others, will kick off at 6pm.
This event is being organised by the San Ġwann local council with the support of the Northern Regional Council and the Parliamentary Secretary for Local Government.
The Italian Dire Straits. Photo: Facebook/Italian Dire StraitsOne Night With You!
The Iklin local council is hosting a tribute show to Elvis Presley in Triq San Mikiel on July 22.
The event, backed by Shakin Tide, will feature a live band, dancers and tribute artist Josuel as Elvis, who will perform favourite hits by the King of Rock, such as Jailhouse Rock and Suspicious Minds.
The same show will be performed again on July 30 in Mellieħa and on August 3 in Għaxaq.
The event's posterTHEATRE
Twelfth Night or What You Will
Shakespeare is back at San Anton Gardens for the annual MADC event until July 23.
This year, the theatre company are presenting the comedy Twelfth Night or What You Will, directed by Chris Gatt and Pia Zammit.
When twins Sebastian and Viola are separated during a shipwreck, each believes the other dead. Viola disguises herself as a boy named Cesario and enters the service of Duke Orsino, who thinks he is in love with Lady Olivia. Orsino sends Viola/Cesario to plead his cause to Olivia, who promptly falls in love with the messenger. Viola, meanwhile, is in love with Orsino. When her twin, Sebastian, is rediscovered, many comic situations of mistaken identity ensue.
The cast includes Tina Rizzo, Steffi Thake, Kim Dalli, Stephen Oliver and Francesco Nicodeme.
The performance is suitable for an audience above 10 years of age. For tickets, visit madc.com.mt.
Cast members Stephen Oliver, Craig Abela, Pia Zammit, Kim Dalli and Francesco Nicodeme. Photo: Justin MamoFi Do
Teatru Malta has teamed up with Manifesto Poetico, composer Karl Fiorini and KorMalta to create an immersive experience for dogs and their owners.
The show, a mixed breed of imagination, space and collective storytelling, aims to break down language barriers and strengthen the bond between humans and their furry companions.
It is directed by the world-renowned theatre company Manifesto Poetico, Carlos García Estévez and Paige Allerton, who are experts in the art of mime.
The event is taking place at the Malta National Park in Ta’ Qali on July 22 and 23 at 7.30pm. For tickets, visit showshappening.com.
All dogs must be kept on a leash throughout the performance, which leash should not be longer than two metres.
Walking Home
Spazju Kreattiv in Valletta is hosting the Prickly Pear Productions Walking Home, which debuted at the Astra Theatre in Gozo last month.
Walking Home is a devised performance exploring the politics and tensions within the issue of sexual violence against women and people of marginalised genders. It is based on more than 40 true stories of real experiences collected from people of diverse genders, nationalities and walks of life from around the world.
The show is directed by Chantelle Micallef Grimaud and stars Sean Borg, Michela Farrugia, Alex Weenink, and Zoë Alba Farrugia.
Performances are being held on July 21 to 23. For tickets, visit kreattivita.org.
The cast of Walking Home. Photo: Facebook/Prickly Pear ProductionsMISCELLANEOUS
Malta International Food Festival 2023
Triton Square in Valletta is hosting another edition of the food festival between July 19 and 25. It will feature mouth-watering food from around the world, and acoustic sessions and full band gigs on the main music entertainment stage.
This year, there will also be a healthy corner offering workshops and discussions on healthy living, food intolerances and veganism.
The event will start daily at 6pm. For more information and updates, visit the event’s Facebook page.
Festa Madliena
Another edition of Festa Madliena is taking place at the Fort Madalena Belvedere on July 21.
The family event will feature music, singing, dance, food and drink. There will be a performance by Tikka Banda and a car show courtesy of the Old Motors Club. Entrance is free.
Transport will be available from the Swieqi local council at 6.15pm, returning at 11pm. To book transport, call the local council on 2137 0199 or 2137 3939.
Tikka Banda will be performing at Festa Madliena. Photo: Facebook/Tikka BandaVISUAL ARTS
MCAST ICA Festival
The seventh edition of the MCAST ICA Festival is celebrating the creative achievements of talented students of 11 bachelor of arts (honours) courses at the MCAST Institute for the Creative Arts in Mosta.
Their artworks will be on display at Spazju Kreattiv in Valletta until July 30.
For more information, click here.
Hover-Still
A collective fine art exhibition, curated by Lily Agius, is being held at the Malta Society of Arts in Valletta.
Loosely inspired by the poem Go Fishing by Ted Hughes, the exhibition features seven interpretations by seven different artists, namely Eiko Borcherding, Co-Ma, Stephanie Galea, Luca Indraccolo, Sallyanne Morgan, Ivan Prieto and Julien Vinet.
The works on display include drawing, sculpture, photography and painting.
Hover-Still runs at Palazzo de la Salle, Valletta, until July 20. Opening hours: Mondays and Fridays: 9am to 7pm; Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays: 9am to noon and 4pm to 7pm; Saturdays: 9am to 1pm. Sundays and public holidays: closed.
One of the works on display by Luca Indraccolo. Photo: Facebook/Lily Agius GalleryBaħħ
Baħħ is artist Peter Seychell’s first solo exhibition, after exhibiting co-jointly with Carmel Bonello last December in an exhibition titled Nuances.
Translated as void, Baħħ is an exploration of silence, solitude and rediscovering oneself amid unspoiled nature. In fact, this exhibition concentrates on landscapes away from these shores, a cry for solitude that one finds in the sprawling countryside of our northern neighbours.
However, there is another side to Seychell’s oeuvre, his meticulous ink drawings in which fantastic scenarios are created, scenarios in which flora and fauna are integrated like fairy-tale narratives.
Baħħ, curated by Mark Mallia and hosted by Gemelli Art Gallery, Ta’ Qali, is on until July 29.
Read more about the exhibition in this Times of Malta review.
Baħħ by Peter Seychell24. 46. 50. 97.
Valletta Contemporary is hosting a collective exhibition featuring the works of Carlos Garaicoa, Gerold Miller, Jurgen Ostarhild and Yeoul Son.
Curated by Norbert Francis Attard, the numerical title of this exhibition draws inspiration from an old telephone dial with numbers and letters that ‘spell out’ the initials of the four artists participating in the exhibition. Hence, Garaicoa becomes 24, Miller becomes 46, Ostarhild is 50 and Son is 97.
The four artists push the boundaries of the aesthetic by either experimenting with media, incorporating new technologies and digital realities or addressing social, political and economic issues.
The exhibition runs until July 29. The gallery is open from Wednesday to Saturday from 2 to 7pm.
Counterweight (Plumb City) by Carlos Garaico. Photo: Facebook/Valletta ContemporarySymphonic Dreams
Sculptor Ġanni Pace has opened an exhibition showcasing his latest works at Palazzo Ferreria in Republic Street, Valletta, entitled Symphonic Dreams.
The works on display aim to depict nature using different images and expressions, rough texture and eroded forms. There are sculptures in terracotta, Maltese stone, stucco and wood. The exhibition includes two busts of the artist's parents.
Part of the income from the exhibition, which runs until August 3, will go to the Malta Community Chest Fund.
Some of Ġanni Pace's works on display.Shrine: Finding Solace in the Chaos of Life
Alexandra Aquilina's debut solo exhibition is taking place at MUŻA in Valletta until August 13.
The screen printer and multimedia artist based between Malta and Berlin tackles grandiose themes of life, spirituality and mortality with teenage arrogance and child-like wonderment, resulting in art that is both raw and intimate, disjointed and coherent at the same time.
Her work invites the viewers to reflect on the duality of nature, humanity and spirituality, universal concepts which are deeply rooted and explored from within the complex island microcosm.
The exhibition is curated by Lisa Gwen.
Read more about the artist and the exhibition on X2, a new website by Times of Malta.
Repent by Alexandra AquilinaWabi Sabi
Il-Kamra ta' Fuq in Mqabba is hosting an exhibition by Sasha Vella titled Wabi Sabi until August 15.
Related to landscapes, objects, and even human beings, the notion of 'Wabi Sabi' can be understood as an appreciation of beauty that is doomed to disappear, or even as an ephemeral contemplation of something that arguably becomes more beautiful as it ages, fades, and acquires a new essence. Vella embraces this philosophy through her photographic work.
In her non-conventional process-based approach, Sasha typically seeks to document natural elements that bear witness to the passage of time through erosion, decay and change. This includes mountains, rocks and humans, dealing with matter that relates to the threat of ceasing to exist.
This debut solo exhibition features a selection of photographic work from the past four years, with some photographs shot on film that expired over 40 years ago.
For opening hours, visit the gallery's Facebook page.
Francesco Zahra (1710-1773) 250th Death Anniversary
Il-Ħaġar Museum in Victoria is commemorating the death of Francesco Zahra, generally considered to have been the greatest painter in Malta during the 18th century, in a landmark exhibition until September 3.
No fewer than 62 works by Zahra are on display. The exhibition also includes works by Buhagiar’s father and brother, his artistic rival Enrico Regnaud and the Rome-trained French artist Antoine Favray, who arrived in Malta in the 1740s.
The exhibition, curated by Keith Sciberras, forms part of the 26th Victoria International Arts Festival, an event co-sponsored by the museum, which came to an end on July 10.
The museum is open daily from 9am to 5pm. Entrance is free. For more information, visit the museum's Facebook page.
Read more about the exhibition in this Times of Malta review.
A self-portrait by Francesco ZahraSoap to Think With
Norbert Francis Attard is holding a solo exhibition at Gozo Contemporary at 11, Triq Mongur, Għarb.
Curated by Ann Dingli, the exhibition features works made out of soap and soap boxes besides other materials to highlight links between massive events in national history that we might otherwise have not made.
A catalogue featuring critical essays by Paul Sant Cassia, Ann Dingli and Nikki Petroni and a prologue by Gabriel Zammit accompanies the exhibition, which is dedicated to Marisa Vella (1960-2020).
Soap to Think With can be viewed by appointment by calling on +356 7904 1051 or sending an e-mail to norbert@norbertattard.com.
Read more about the exhibition in this Times of Malta interview with the artist and curator.
OTHER EXHIBITIONS
Ancient Tea With New Glamour
The China Cultural Centre in Malta is hosting a new exhibition under the theme of 'Tea for Harmony', co-organised with the Xi’an Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism.
Featuring intriguing displays, artefacts, paintings and photographs from the city of Xi’an, this new exhibition opens a window into the enduring significance of tea in Chinese culture.
A Tang-style gilded tea set made of bronze gold and silver is the main attraction. Other exhibits include a batch of royal teaware items that were unearthed in 1987 at the ancient Buddhist Famen Temple in northwest Shaanxi and a modern reprinted thread-bound edition of The Classic of Tea, considered to be the first known monograph on tea in the world, written by Lu Yu between 760 CE and 762 CE, during the Tang Dynasty.
One may visit the exhibition, which will remain open until the end of this year at the China Cultural Centre, 173, Melita Street, Valletta. The centre is open Monday to Friday from 9.30am to noon, and from 1.30 to 4pm. Entrance is free. Reservation is advised for group visits at events2023ccc@gmail.com.
whatson@timesofmalta.com