Kollox Maħdum Bizzilla

Summer days in Gozo meant family time consumed by a colourful blend of tradition, culture, sea and easy going nights. The experience was a repeat anticipated with pleasure; from one year to the other, always waiting for that experience to walk through the market stalls and admire the traditional lace on sunny mornings. However, year after year progress also found its way into all areas of the island leaving us to wonder whether this is truly reflecting what contemporary urban development looks like.

This installation is in fact trying to hold onto what is left of tradition inundated with concrete. The work itself is creating a sharp contrast between the softness and delicateness of the lace with the harshness and austerity of the concrete. Like a series of rapid events, the concrete lace series aims to challenge this conflicting dialogue between elements inspired from Gozitan culture and traditions, and the current frantic construction development which is unfortunately undermining the unique characteristics of the island leaving us to wonder on where this is all going. Is this frantic development matching up suitably with the necessity of a fast paced developing world, or are we being presented with the uncontrolled disintegration of Gozo’s identity? Unfortunately there are two sides of the same coin, and we are only left to reminisce on what we deem as a symbol of our personal collection of memories woven nicely into a representation of Gozo’s identity.