Fejn se Mmur Magazine - Issue 14

1NOVEMBER 2012

2 FEJN SE MMUR MAGAZINE | ISSUE 13

3NOVEMBER 2012

Happy New Year everyone! A new year has just started, and we hope that you had a great beginning to 2013. To our team, this year brings about a wide range of excit-ing projects, development of present ideas, and more new experiences for you as our readers, listeners, and followers! However, rest assured that this magazine will continue being a central part of our operation as an initiative aimed at informing you about what’s going on in our islands’ cultural and artistic sectors. We how-ever feel that it’s important to continue innovating, cre-ating new opportunities, and above all, learning from your comments and reactions. This has always been of pivotal importance in our work.

I used the term ‘islands’ (plural) on purpose, given that this month’s main feature is focused around a national project which we’re all part of. Earlier on last year, I had the opportunity to interview Mr. Karsten Xuereb, project coordinator at the Valletta 18 Foundation, fo-cusing around the vision for a Malta which is diverse, unique, and culturally conscious down to each and every one of us. This shall not be the first time where we shall be undertaking a national perspective. In fact, this is one of the many projects we have planned for this year.

Meanwhile, this magazine’s other two interviews bring to light some of Gozo’s best talents. Catherine Cutajar interviews local author Joseph Sultana, whose series of book s have rekindled our cravings to read book s in our native language. On the other hand, Mariliana Debrincat interviewed artist Mark Sagona, whose work

has become a colourful façade of our artistic capabilities as a nation, not only in Malta, but also abroad. These two interviews both share a common interest in exposing our is-land’s variety and achievements.

Manuel Xuereb’s visit this time led him to discover one of Gozo’s old-est collections of religious artifacts. In fact, the Gozo Cathedral Museum contains objects which reflect the journey our forefathers undertook to manifest their religious beliefs throughout the centuries.

One last note regards a new initiative we’re launch-ing in a poster published in this magazine. Stay tuned through our Facebook and Twitter pages, as we shall be taking this initiative to a new level in the coming days! It’s all about love, so start preparing your definitions of the subject right away!

I wish you all a good year, and till we meet again, the best of luck for any endeavours you have for this first month of the year! See you next month!

Yours truly,

Joseph

THE FEJN SE MMUR MAGAZINE EDITOR: JOSEPHMASINIFACEBOOK.COM/FEJNSEMMMUR WRITERS: JOSEPHMASINI,MARILIANADEBRINCATTWITTER.COM/FEJNSEMMUR CATHERINECUTAJAR,MANUELXUEREB PHOTOGRAPHY: ANTHONYGRECH [email protected] ARTISTIC CONSULTANT: PAULCASSAR

COPYRIGHT©THEFEJNSEMMURTEAM.ALLRIGHTSRESERVED.PHOTOCOPYRIGHT©ANTHONYGRECHPHOTOGRAPHY(ANDTHERESPECTIVEPHOTOGRAPHERS).NOPARTOFTHISMAGAZINEMAYBEREPRODUCEDWITHOUTPERMISSION.


5NOVEMBER 2012

inside06 A network of ideas

In this month’s main feature, JOSEPH MASINI interviews Valletta 18 Foundation’s Karsten Xuereb in order to dis-cover the vision for a culturally-conscious, artistically-de-veloped Malta in five years’ time, and what it should mean to us now.

10 The life of an authorCATHERINE CUTAJAR interviews local writer Jo-seph Sultana, whose works are rekindling the passion for reading among our locals.

13 A winterly manifestationGet to uncover a tradition which is as old as it is unique, incorporating our natural love for our animals, with our devotion. The feast of Saint An-thony the Abbot, celebrated in Xaghra, embraces these two elements in a peculiar manifestation.

15 The Mother of MuseumsMANUEL XUEREB gets to discover what may very well be the oldest collection of religious and social artefacts in Gozo. Spanning centuries, the artefacts preserved here are truly a sight not worth missing.

20 An artistic existenceIn this month’s “Artist of the Month” feature, MARILIANA DEBRINCAT gets to meet one of our island’s most prolific and widely-acclaimed artists. In fact, Mark Sagona’s work is as profound, as it is powerful.

25 Cultural JournalRevisit last December’s events in our Cultural Journal!


For this month’s main feature, JO-SEPH MASINI interviews Valletta 18 Foundation’s Karsten Xuereb in order to discover the vision for a cultur-ally conscious, artistically-developed Malta in five years time, and what it should mean for all of us today.

networka

of

ideas

7NOVEMBER 2012

In the midst of all the po-litical turmoil,

both locally as well as in our neighbouring countries, last year managed to capture our imagination as a people engrained in our cultural and artistic back-grounds, when Valletta’s bid to become a European Capital of Culture was finalised, submitted, and in November, formally accepted by the panel of inter-national judges. As we watched their approval being declared under the auspices of Caravaggio’s Saint Je-rome, we could feel our pulse throbbing and our pas-sions rekindle. We were unique, and 2018 was going to be about us: our heritage, culture, traditions, and life-style. Above all, we had shown that as one nation, we were able to show our strength and win over obstacles. We, it was understood, were indeed special. However, setting as the sense of pride quelled, it became clear that the challenge ahead was great- perhaps too great for such a small state to bear on its own. After all, we are not used to international festivals such as these, and their responsibility requires a committed team, ready to lead us in the path forward.

Luckily, that team was formed three years ago, when the Valletta 18 Foundation was set up to take care of this project and realise this dream. Curious to know more about what lies ahead now that we’ve won the bid, I interviewed Karsten Xuereb, a project coordina-

tor at the Foundation, and one of a team of leaders, whose skills, expertise, and experiences shall be de-terminant factors in the success of the project as it un-folds during the next few years. Conscious of the fact that next year we shall be celebrating a half-century of independence, I wondered whether Mr. Xuereb de-fines this relatively short period of time as one where we have witnessed a cultural outburst.

“I wouldn’t speak of an outburst,” he said. “If we take the last fifty years since independence; it’s been a long process- at times slow, but definitely continuous. For example in Maltese literature, the movement of the sixties and seventies, spearheaded by authors such as Mario Azzopardi and Oliver Friggieri, was an inte-gral part of this process. These were there back then, and still are now, and their contribution is still impor-tant. So, I wouldn’t think of an outburst, but a gradual progression; at times consciously-led, with a certain aim in mind, and at other times more sporadic and inspired by foreign influences and fashions. However, since 2002, with the Heritage Act and the setting up of the Malta Council of Culture and the Arts, a struc-ture was put in place to facilitate this development. Ten years later, when we came to submit our bid for the Capital of Culture, we had a strong tradition, a legal structure, and a lot of experience to go with the two,” Xuereb states.

“I wouldn’t speak of an outburst.. it’s

been a long process- at times slow, but definitely

continuous...”


The first point he mentioned is also the most obvi-ous. Having a history which spans millennia, our is-lands have a lot of experiences which can now be used and applied in such a way as to be relevant today. Mr. Xuereb agrees with me on this point, and says that it’s not only about the history, but also the culture. “The concept of Malta as a hub of culture however, goes back far more than independence. The Neolithic temples are a primary example of this. Later on, at the time of the Knights of St. John, Malta was also at the crossroads of artistic development in both the Eastern and West-ern worlds. So coming back to our age, and looking forward, we’re a continuation, but we need to speak to people today, and plan for people tomorrow. Now, how to reinterpret this narration of who we were into something that we are, and what we will be?”

The answer, it turns out, rests not on the traditional style we are used to, where we link up a number of big, sporadic events around Malta and Gozo, but to empower people and communities to create an expe-rience which is then shared with an audience much larger than our islands’. “Valletta 18 is not about a couple of big events,” Xuereb told me, “but about link-ing up with local communities, councils, and schools, in order to allow the vision of the citizens to come to life. Our vision is the people’s vision, and this process of engagements with the public is really what is driv-ing us as Foundation. It is for this reason that we have included the Local Councils Association, school, band clubs, and other community-based organisations at the centre of our strategy. If you then take a look at the national level, we are aiming at creating an interface which links to a larger European audience.”

The discussion turning to an international perspec-tive, I asked Mr. Xuereb to comment on some of views casting doubt on our preparedness for such a feat. Do we have all it takes to host the Capital of Culture? His answer was extremely clear: “If a city has all it needs to be a Capital of Culture, it does not get the title. We applied for Capital of Culture because we believe that we can improve in certain skills and areas of exper-tise which we need to develop. So this is pretty much part of the learning curve which the cultural sector, and other sectors such as economic, finance, and educa-tion, need to be involved in. The Foundation is simply coordinating this process. We need Capital of Culture because we need to raise the level.”

9NOVEMBER 2012

However, isn’t the road ahead quite difficult? How will we reach this level of excellence in just five years? “The term “road ahead” can be an overwhelming one, and for this reason, we divided this journey into manageable structures which started off three years ago with the preparation for the bid. Now the next three years will consist in implementing the cultural program, includ-ing strengthening the foundation and working with all interested partners. This will lead to the implementa-tion of the program itself. Then, after 2018, we have another three years, consisting of the legacy this pro-ject will have on our society, and communities. This will also allow us to study and understand what has happened and the impact it has had, allowing us to learn and adopt long-lasting attitudes towards culture, such as a shift towards professionalisation, and the cre-ation of more jobs in our cultural and artistic sectors, among others.”

A large-scale plan also requires a large-scale team, of-ten comprising individuals coming from different backgrounds, some of whom are even foreign. This has given rise to a new wave of criticism from people who believe that projects such as these should only involve locals. However, what is a local, and how is he to be de-fined? “I think a way of getting over the complex of “us and them” is by realizing that “us” is many, many different people: people who were born here, migrated here; people who have different cultures, religious, and

traditional backgrounds, and many more. All of this makes us Maltese, and this is what we are looking at, and what we want to attract for this project. We are also including people who might not need to be here to help, but can do this online, through collaboration and technology. This project is about people who after all, ‘care’ about Valletta and Malta, and our cultural and artistic development. This includes an immense variety of people.”

Yet it’s not only the people who are varied, but also the forms of art themselves. In one of the Foundation’s promotional videos in the run-up to the presentation of the bid, I was captivated by a scene showing a lo-cal heavy metal band jamming at Valletta’s National Library: quite an unusual marriage, one presumes. Will Valletta 18 be attempting at creating a definition of what is Art, or is there an open-ended perspective which the team will adopt? “Our job is to go beyond definitions,” is Xuereb’s prompt reply. “We’re there to challenge limits, and allow people to do the same, al-lowing new ideas and mixes which we are perhaps not used to. I appreciate your term ‘holistic’, which means that you are trying to get a whole. It will be presump-tuous of us to say we have achieved that, but if there is an experimental element, which is on the fringe of what we define as art, then Valletta 2018 should allow that concept to grow and feel supported by us, even if it’s not immediately acceptable. This is why we shall


be documenting the process, in or-der to learn from the development of the project, and any new lessons we might learn as we go along, even through our mistakes.”

Being such a community-friendly project, I dared ask one final ques-tion on the role of the citizens in this project. What can I have in the realization of this vision? “This is not an easy question to answer, as it’s quite to challenge to ensure that say, children in school know that Capital of Culture allows them the possibility of not only dreaming, but to make something out of those dreams. The role of people really de-pends on what they can bring to the project: if they are artists, they can bring their expertise and wish to en-gage with people through their art-work. However, one must not be an artist to contribute, but also partici-pants in a community organisation,

or business community, who wish to understand how they can benefit from a European platform. How-ever, after all, the role of the people shall be developing over time, and wish this to happen, as Valletta 18 is all about having a network of imagination – why limit ourselves now?”

“This project is about peo-ple who after all, ‘care’ about Valletta and Malta, and our cultural and artis-tic development.”

11NOVEMBER 2012

The Banca Giuratale at the heart of Victoria’s historical and com-mercial centre is also a main attraction dur-ing the holiday season, with numerous events being coordinated by the Gozo Culture De-partment within the

Ministry for Gozo.


THE Fejn Se Mmur team met an outstand-ing author this month, a 31 year old

author from Kercem who has just published the third part of his renowned series “Il-Misteru Ark-Anum”.

The first impression I had of Joseph Sultana is that of a very friendly and down to earth person. Polite and amusing, Joseph revealed that sometimes he has moments when he likes to be alone, but on the other side, he likes to joke around a lot. Apart from having a passion for writing, he likes spending time surfing the internet or enjoying a stroll along the countryside. Joseph Sultana has two more siblings but he is the only one in the family who writes books.

Agatha Christie left a huge impact on his passion for writing. What he likes most about this author is the way she wrote her novels, leaving the reader on edge to find out what will happen next. Moreover, as for favourite’s authors he admits that he greatly admires

In her second feature, CATHERINE CUTAJAR interviews our island’s emerging literary talent;: Joseph Sul-tana, whose work is quickly gaining momentum, fame, and a new thirst for reading in Malta. Find out more in this month’s article.

AUTHORthe life of an

13NOVEMBER 2012

both Stephen King and also J.K. Rowling.

A question I was excited to ask him was about his sources of inspiration. What gets him moving to write? He answered that he finds inspiration in everything and anything that comes along his way. Even a simple rock can lead him to be inspired, being able to write a story around it. What gives this Gozitan author satisfaction in writing is that read-ers can understand what he wants to express. In addition the support from people who read his books are also another factor, without which the point of it all would greatly diminish. He continues to explain how satisfied he feels when persons come up to him and tell him that they want to read another of his novel’s sequels.

His love for writing started when he was about five years old. He recalls how he used to write short texts, and despite these being immature scribbles of a young boy, they were the start of something bigger inside him. Along the years, he matured and learnt a lot from certain experi-ences he had gone through. Thus it made him see how he can express these same lessons through writing.

I asked Joseph if he has any plans for the future. He smiled and replied that he has a lot of projects planned in his mind, but he is the ‘step by step’ kind of person. Sultana might even introduce a kids’ section soon or even some books written in English.

He continued by adding that in the near spring, he shall be looking for persons who have a passion of writing stories in Maltese. These stories

--------------------------------------------------------------Sultana’s Ark-Anum series will span a total of six books, with the identity of the mysterious personality being re-vealed in the last installment. There are currently plans

to translate the book into English.--------------------------------------------------------------


will be a collection in one book sort of a promotion for all those who take part, and published in a book dedicat-ed to the memory of Fr. René Cilia. Also, it’s important to notice, all money gathered from sales will go to charity funds.

I couldn’t help but ask a tal-ented author like Joseph what advice he’d like to give to those who have an inter-est in writing. In a confident voice, the Gozitan author said that anyone who has an-ything to write must just put pen to paper and write away. It might be that one day it will turn out to be a piece of one’s own writing. He en-couraged that help is always needed. No one started as a professional from the begin-ning. Great authors like Ste-phen King were also in need of help in the beginning of their career.

Meanwhile, the books’ ti-tle: “Il-Misteru Ark-Anum” is derived from the Latin Language, meaning some-one with a secret. Readers will know who Ark-Anum is

in later volumes, but in the 7th volume, we will find a reference on who this Ark-Anum might be. This series of books will be prolonged into 8 volumes. It might even be considered to be de-veloped in a TV series! Hav-ing a number of different characters, the book is not only captivating, but also relatable, as the personali-ties presented are ones we encounter in our every-day life.

Who said that in Gozo we don’t have any talent is gravely mistaken, I con-vinced myself, following this interview. We might be a small island but we are still able to produce such an amazing talent. In con-clusion, The Fejn Se Mmur team wishes the best of luck to Joseph Sultana, congratu-lating him for all the work he’s done so far, and looking forward with excitement for the work yet to come!

15NOVEMBER 2012

Though not renowned for its good weather or fa-vourable hours of sunlight, January still plays host to two separate feasts around Gozo, celebrating St. Anthony and St. Paul in Xaghra and Marsalforn respectively. These two religious festivals have been celebrated for quite a long time, and both feature rather peculiar rituals which are definite-ly a site not worth missing during this cold, bleak period. Yet nothing beats Xaghra’s long-spanning tradition of animal blessing, followed by the procession which is still held around the narrow streets of the village, attracting hundreds of an-nual pilgrims and devotees of one of the patron saints of animals.

Featuring a piglet looking (quite amusingly) up at him by his side, the statue of the Abbot reminds us of a time where our forefathers used to give their fair share of devotion to as many different saints as possible. Saint Anthony is one of them, and it seems that the tradition of blessing a whole me-nagerie of animals goes considerably back in time. To this day, you can see young children waiting impatiently to have their pet tortoise, dog, cat, or

hamster blessed in honour of the saintly hermit. However, one would be mistaken to think that it’s only small-sized animals which are presented, as the parade usually includes a sheep or two, as well as horses, goats, and other farm animals which undoubtedly create a spectacle worth witnessing. Apart from being just fun to watch, however, the festival is also one of the last remaining examples of a tradition which used to embrace the love for our animals with our devotion as a people: one of those rarely thought-about gems, which we have lost over time.

The feast of Saint Anthony the Abbot shall be held on Sun-day, 20th December 2012, at 10.00 a.m., and in the evening, with the traditional procession.

A WINTERLY

devotion


17NOVEMBER 2012

MANUEL XUEREB had the oppor-tunity to visit and discover what may very well be Gozo’s own time portal. The Gozo Cathedral Museum, with its centuries-old artefacts shines a light on our past experiences and be-liefs as a people.

motherthe ofmuseums


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A new year is here, and as all of you are expecting after the first two issues of this series; the museum of the month, I will define museum again. The im-age that comes to mind is that of an old

married couple who are visiting a particular museum. This museum is filled with World War II exhibits. The old man is giving his wife a tour, while holding hands he is also giving her an explanation of his experience as a soldier. He can almost be depicted either as lec-turer giving a lecture to a student or a beggar begging for money. However there are more emotions involved that cannot be seen. One may not notice but during the war many left as soldiers with no hope of return, many left their families and loved ones behind them. Thus in this case the couple entering this museum are re-experiencing certain emotions with the hope of embarking a journey to fill a certain void. Therefore a museum can be understood as a place which stores a particular emotion from a certain period of time. In the case of a World War II museum it holds the emo-tions that could be possibly felt in turbulent times, such as sadness, grief, anxiety, amongst others.

However the museum chosen for this month is noth-ing similar to a World War II museum. Contrary it is the very opposite because the emotions felt here are nothing connected to turbulence. The Cathedral Mu-seum has a very peaceful mood once you enter, with three different levels of atmospheres and classification of exhibits. The first floor has a bit of mixed feelings which is because of the mixed classification of the exhibits. In the first floor there is a huge wheel cart which gives the first floor an obstruction to the many

other important exhibits. One of the exhibits that can be easily missed, that is on the floor, is a long stone Lintel bolder which was from the old church which was destroyed in the earthquake of 1693. This exhibit bears the inscription ‘IN TE DOMINE SPERAVI’. This means ‘In you Lord I put my trust’. This was found in the late 2001 excavations which show why it is in a good shape when compared to the other exhibits.

Moreover, in the primary floor there are also many sections that are connected with the priesthood career. One example in particular is the mitres of many arch-bishops that were donated by them to this museum. Even Pope Pius IX has a mitre in this museum. There is also a special section devoted for Nikol Cauchi which has his mitre, some vestments and attire. There is also two exhibits of international bishops such as the ex-hibit of liturgical vestments of the cardinal Josfy Slipij who was imprisoned under communism in Ukraine for his faith. Another similar exhibit is found in the second floor, the priesthood clothing worn by Arch-bishop Oscar Romero who was assassinated while cel-ebrating mass in el Salvador. The priesthood career is the most dominant theme of the first floor out of the several different exhibits that one may find. There are also in the second floor decorative colourful shoes that were worn by Bishop Joseph Pace. Each colour serves for different ecclesial periods. These things are in the Cathedral museum because the Cathedral church was always the mother-church of all the churches in Gozo. There are several pictures on the stair way down to the basement floor. One in particular that deserves ref-erence is the picture of General Antonio Maria from Naples who fought in the army of Garibaldi Italia

19NOVEMBER 2012

Risorgimento, who has a very similar appearance to Napoleon. In the basement floor the exhibits are more organized than the first floor. The most inspiring and amazing exhibit is the icon of the blessed virgin at-tributed to a painting of St. Luke, who accompanied St. Paul when they got shipwrecked on the island of Malta. There are also many chalices and patens which are donations from priests and past bishops. Another fascinating exhibit is the bishop’s travelling box which is identical to the doctor’s box except for having dif-ferent purposes.

The one thing in particular people ought to keep a lookout for through this floor is the amazing artistic detail on each exhibit, which are all different, espe-cially the chalices. There is also a set of silver candle sticks which are sometimes changed for others and used during the festive holidays. There is also the holder of the spiritual oil which is used in the Pen-tecost once a year. Furthermore an aspect this floor contains is the very organized collection of coins tied to the Vatican which were donated by different peo-ple. Each coin had an image of a pope of a particular time. Another particular exhibit worth mentioning is the ‘Splinter’ one of the first Bomb dropped on Vic-toria in 1941. Also there is a small section from the Leone Band Club which unlike the rest of the bands and villages of Gozo has a special contract with the Cathedral church.

When one enters the second floor, exactly prior as-cending upwards on the stairs one can notice four paintings which are artistically romantic. These are

loaned from the Savina church. The second floor un-like the first and the basement floors is dominated with paintings. Moreover this floor has a peaceful feel-ing compared with the less organized first floor and an indifferent basement floor which has very flashy and organized appearance.

There are many paintings on the wall to the left from where one goes up the stairs. The two that stand out the most, are the painting of Sir Adrian Dingli and that of Saverio Cassar. Sir Adrian was a Gozitan judge who fought for Gozitan rights. Adrian even succeeded to give Rabat the Victoria title through a signed peti-tion that was sent to London by the aristocratic people of that time. The other one is Saverino Cassar who in 1798 removed the French from Gozo. Gozo became independent at the day of 28th October and was capa-ble of managing the island for two years with some aid from the British. Saverino was also the Archbishop of the Cathedral. Both these two personalities are very

-----------------------------------------------“A collection so unique and so reflective of the admiration towards Mary, and the influence of St. Peter and St. Paul on our island that I doubt such a unique and pres-tige collection can be found anywhere on

the island.”-----------------------------------------------


integral to the Gozitan history and both have a deep connection with Rabat and the Cathe-dral church.

On the next wall there are seven paintings closely put together which are a rather unique and attracting collection. There are two paint-ings on the sides that of St. Peter with the key to heaven, and St. Paul with a long sword. There is a painting of St. Mary giving ‘doubt-ing’ Thomas a belt. There is another one of the coronation of the Blessed Virgin which is portrayed with the Holy Trinity. Another one portrays Mary with the rosary beads. These seven paintings were done approximately around 1600. The highlight of this floor is these seven paintings which are so different

and yet so similar. Such a collection being so unique in expressing the admiration towards St Mary and the influence of St. Peter and St. Paul on our island makes it next to impossible to find such another unique and prestige col-lection anywhere else on the island.

There are many other paintings on the two other walls of the other side, from when one enters the second floor. Most of these paint-ings were the main alter pieces of countryside chapels in Gozo ravaged by time and moder-nity. Such paintings are of St. Rose of Lima, St. Zita, St. Cosmoas and Damian, St. Cath-erine of Alexandria, St. Francis of Paola, St. Libonius, St. Barabara and St. Bartholomo. Two other paintings that stand out from their

21NOVEMBER 2012

emphasis on colour and their gruesome imagery are; the martyrdom of St. Publius, the first bishop of Malta and the other is of the martyrdom of St. Aga-tha. The former one has black lions surrounding the saint. This painting makes one’s imagination take over and imagine the cruel death occurring. The lat-ter has gruesome imagery of the cutting off of a body part with a very reddish colour, which too can be im-agined and gives the viewer goose bumps of terror.

Overall the main theme one has to take into ac-count through this museum is the expression of the bishop’s fashion and the connection of the Cathedral Church with the Vatican. The fashion is not only in clothing but also in their decorations of the church and their usage of certain materials such as the chal-ices, etc. This reveals their deep connection with the divine God through the instruments they use in the ministerial service. Also their difference in attire rep-resents the hierarchy in the church towards which every priest has a special admiration and aspires for higher clerical position. Furthermore this museum symbolizes the ties between the Vatican, the Ca-thedral church and all the other churches in Gozo. It also shows the relationship between the priests, bishops and the people of Gozo and their close tie to this museum. This can be seen through the many donations from the priests, bishops and the people of Gozo that created this enormous amount of col-lection.

--------------------------------------------------------------The Cathedral Museum is open Monday-Satur-day, from 08.00 till 17.00. Entrance ticket in-

cludes visit to the Gozo Cathedral. --------------------------------------------------------------

The site where the Gozo Ca-thedral is situated today has been also home to an an-cient temple to the ancient

Roman goddess Juno.


Artist Mark Sagona, born in 1976 in Gozo, is not only a painter, but also a lecturer, designer and art histo-rian. Through his commitment and various works, today he is very much one of our island’s most estab-lished artists.

Every artist experiences the moment of ‘calling’ by Art, realising that it’s the road he wants to pursue. One can say that Mark Sagona was born in such an artisti-cally-rich environment that it was simply natural that he would follow in the career of his father Joseph, who is an established artist himself. “This was something

automatic for me, having been born surrounded by Art”. He recalls how he would go to his father’s studio and experiment with the paint brushes and pigments, and how he would go on the scaffolding with his father when the latter would be working on one of his several commissions in parishes around the islands. He also explains how their house and studio were dotted with art pieces. From a tender age, Sagona used to accom-pany his father on visits to other artists like Giuseppe Galea, Giuseppe Briffa, and Marco Montebello. Being born in such an environment, becoming an artist was actually an inevitable fate.

Having only studied locally, Mark explains how, while at University, he used to attend the School of Art in Valletta and that’s when he was introduced to a new phase of his passion for art. This school introduced him to the Modern Art, rather than the more tradi-tional art of his father. He also furthered his studies in the human figure under Anton Calleja. Through his studies leading to the B.A.(Hons.) degree in Art at the University of Malta, he was further exposed to-

For her January feature, MARILIANA DEBRINCAT interviews one of Gozo’s most prolific, widely-ac-claimed artists, Mark Sagona. His work is as deep as it is powerful, becoming one of the most colour-ful façades of our artistic capabilities around the world.

EXISTENCEAN ARTISTIC

Mark Sagona, L

iberation, 2007, National M

useum of Fine A

rts, Valletta

23NOVEMBER 2012

the great modern masters: “My eyes were now keenly observing new ideas, as I started hearing about art-ists that I had never heard of before and began trav-elling abroad. From then on I started developed my personal style.” He recounts how during his period at University, he met Professor Joseph Paul Cassar, who today is one of our islands’ most acclaimed artists. He continued saying how Cassar was a source of con-stant encouragement, also opening his first personal exhibitions in 2000 and 2004. After pursuing his aca-demic studies, Sagona furthered how the two parallels joined together. Although he never studied abroad he is proud of the experiences he grew up with from his father’s studio and also tells us that here in Malta he experienced experiences that made up for experiences that he would have encountered abroad.

After University, in November 2000, he put up his first exhibition at the Ministry for Gozo Exhibition halls. After his first exhibition he continued with other exhibitions that were greatly accepted from the art critics of the time. In the meantime he also contin-ued with his Masters in Art. It is a good thing to note that Sagona was the first person from Gozo to obtain a B.A.(Hons.) and M.A. degree in Art. In 2004 Sagona held an exhibition at the Banca Giuratale, soon fol

lowed by one of his most important exhibitions at Saint James Cavalier in Valletta. the first to be inaugu-rated by Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi.

Sagona believes that Art is not only a medium through which an artist can induce a message on his audience, but it exists on its own, for its own sake. He is an art-ist who has experimented with several genres. He has worked on landscapes, portraits, sacred and abstract art; we can say that his experimentation with differ-ent genres is still an ongoing process. The artist fur-thers that he “is not interested in capturing the pretty landscape but is rather interested in the experimen-tation with colour, texture and contrast”. He has also managed to give traditional subjects a contemporary touch.

As an artist Sagona is interested in the expressive quality of colour. The experimentation with strong colours, contrasts and texture is something that has always fascinated Sagona; “I communicate through colours”. In fact in 2006 he named an exhibition he held in Valletta ‘Visions of Light’. To him the idea of light is something important and very spiritual and till this very day he has continued experimenting with this subject. In 2008 at the National Museum of Fine Arts in Valletta he organised another of his various exhibitions, which exhibited very personal works un-der the name of ‘Diaries of Existence’. “By the means of abstract I wanted to communicate what I was going through at that time through colour and brushwork . Each work was inspired by a particular moment in my life, in fact each had a particular title.” Through this exhibition, he wanted to express the idea that a diary can also be written in colour and brushwork instead of pen and paper.

Sagona exhibited various works in countries abroad.

“...Sagona believes that Art is not only a medium through which an artist can induce a message on his audience, but it exists on its own,

for its own sake...”


In September 2006 Sagona was chosen to represent Malta in Rome at the festival Il Lazio tra Europa e Mediterraneo, where he was invited to display a col-lection of his. Between January and March 2010, Sagona had the opportunity to exhibit some of his works in the European Parliament in Brussels. His latest exhibition was held up in Paris, which was or-ganised by the Maltese embassy. The aim of the exhi-bition to which the title greatly backed up to L’Ame d’un Ile, was to grasp the spirit of the Maltese Islands and promoting Malta and Gozo through art. WDuring their life as students, artists tend to get in-fluenced by particular periods that they might have been studying at the time. The Modern period and Cubism in particular had a great influence on the be-ginning of the artistic career of Mark Sagona. While studying Modern Art under artist and lecturer Jo-seph Paul Cassar, he adds that the study left a huge impact on him.

Right now his exhibitions are on hold since his time is mostly taken up by his Ph.D. studies at the Univer-sity of Malta. With a smile on his face Sagona adds; “Doctoral research and study takes up a lot of your life, heart and mind. Despite of this this will be a great contribution to the study of Maltese Art”. His exhibitions may be on hold but surely not his recur-ring commissions, such as the project of a new ped-estal and predella which he designed recently for the parish church of the Virgin of Mount Carmel at Fleur-de-Lys, Birkirkara, which was inaugurated last year.

Mark Sagona, Verdala, 2010, private coll., Malta

Mark Sagona, untitled, 2010, private coll.

25NOVEMBER 2012

CAROLS BY CANDLELIGHTFor the tenth consecutive time, the Schola Cantorum Jubilate: a group of young, talented men and women from all over Gozo, held their annual Christmas con-cert “Carols by Candlelight”, which has become of the most anticipated events in our island. All proceeds went to Dar Guzeppa Debono of Ghajnsielem.

The Schola Cantorum Jubilate performing one of its pieces during the much-acclaimed event.

THE MAJI LAND IN GOZOContinuing an annual Gozitan tradition, the Ghaqda Milied fix-Xaghra organised yet another Epiphany-themed parade in the streets of Xaghra, including the three kings themselves, who re-enacted the presentation of gifts to the baby Jesus in front of the Parish Church and hundreds of curious onlookers.

A group (or rather, ‘family’) photo, taken by our photographer Anthony Grech, after

the parade, in front of Xaghra’s Basilica.

A FEAST OF GENEROSITY!For yet another year, we managed to amaze ourselves with how generous we can be in times of need. This year’s L-Istrina broke all records, gathering an un-paralled amount of over 3 million Euros. In Gozo, the events consisted of a talent festival held at the Aurora Opera House, which was also attended by H.E. George Abela, President of the Republic, as well as local MPs and NGO representatives, who presented their dona-tions and best wishes to the Head of State.

The Hon. Minister Chris Said presenting a donation to President George Abela during the event in Gozo.

CULTURALjournalDECEMBER2012

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Fejn se Mmur Magazine - Issue 14