Ephemera.
The Art and Tradition of Fireworks
– panel discussion –
Wednesday, 10 August at 6pm
Location: Spazju Kreattiv, Studio B
Join us for the conversation between the Italian artist Andrea Botto, who will be hosted as part of the Artist in Residency Programme and Dr. Godfrey Farrugia, an expert in the field of fireworks. During the conversation, Moderated by Ramona Depares, you will hear about what entails to create fireworks and the art which is created out of it.
Fireworks are born to enchant, amaze and terrify, to magically connect the earth with the sky. They are the result of a creative commitment to dominate and tame fire, modifying the elements for aesthetic purposes.
I am attracted to fireworks by their ephemeral and iridescent character, but also by their extreme precision and plastic/sculptural aspect. Just like photography, they live through light.
In some of the countries bordering the Mediterranean (Italy, Greece, Spain, Malta, France) we can find different traditional expressions of an ancient pyrotechnic art, the result of influences and cultural exchanges over the centuries. Since the early 1900s, an autonomous and particular pyrotechnic art has developed in Malta archipelago.
Fireworks are widespread and integral part of local culture. Each village has at least one factory, most of the time two, which carries out the shows for the patron saint feasts which take place all year long. And all that is on a voluntary basis, because pyrotechnics is not a profession.
The particular design of the Maltese ‘bombs’ is not only what can be seen in the sky, but is also expressed in their construction, the result of decades of material culture.
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Spazju Kreattiv Artists Residency programme is organised in collaboration with the Valletta Design Cluster and the Ministry for Gozo.
This residency is supported by the Italian Cultural Institute in Valletta.