Erbatax-il Vers is an anthology of 100 poems penned by Alfred Grech. The anthology evolved into an initiative which strives for transformation through aspiration by inspiration. To do so, a number of artists from various disciplines work together to present multi-sensorial experiences for different audiences in specific spaces. At Splendid, Grech’s verses are interpreted from different perspectives and the artists’ work creates a dialogue in various languages.
Maria Pace dissects the many layers of poetic narrative with the space and its context. George Scicluna’s work depicts the social struggles posed by the technological phenomenon. These themes are also explored by Julia Camilleri’s performance which sheds light on the more hidden aspects of relationships between humans and their devices. Mark Xuereb’s work presents a Boschesque representation of the darker side of a soul struggling to keep hope perhaps in search of balance.
Georgemario presents a modern allegory of Sisyphus and delves into inner conflicts and challenges of life while posing the question of the present (ambition vs appreciation). Maria Galea focuses more on the relationship between two beings in the flesh while Marlon Tabone examines the relationship between the author and the audience through today’s technological communication.
The message is also explored in Andrea Delicata’s musical composition. Stefan Carbonaro’s work explores the perception at the receiving end, presenting visually the experience of a reader searching for meaning.
Leona Farrugia and Janelle Borg of Cryptic Street evolve the verses into lyrics intertwined in an alternative musical composition. George Camilleri reads out to project what he notes in the text as the sense of stoic rationalization in the face of pain and failure.
The dialogues can be viewed at Splendid in an open space of an informal setting which will involve other artists who are currently developing their expressions. A performance will take place on Sunday, 9 September with repeated shows on 10 and 11 September at 19:30.
The project at Splendid is supported by the Strada Stretta Concept; under the artistic direction of Giuseppe Schembri Bonaci, under the auspices of the Valletta 2018 Foundation and The Splendid. This part of the project is also supported by The Ministry for Gozo and Eco Gozo. Whilst logistics were supported by Gozo Express ¸£ÀûÔÚÏßÃâ·Ñ, videography by Carl Tanti and photography by Luke Zerafa.
