Maltese artist exhibits in the Netherlands

Maltese artist Adrian Abela presented his work ‘The Caster’ (2015) during the art route Open Stal in the Frisian village of Oldeberkoop in the Netherlands, as part of the project The Culture of Ageing, curated by Dutch curators Lennard Dost and Mare van Koningsveld.

Open Stal is the oldest art route that takes place in The Netherlands, being initiated in 1971. It takes place yearly during the summer months in the small Frisian village of Oldeberkoop. The works are presented at unusual locations: in houses, shops and the school, but also in barns, garages and in open-air sites.

In Oldeberkoop, ‘The Caster’ is being shown as a multi channel video installation in a shed, one of the locations of the arts festival.
The artist chose a scientific approach of ‘ageing’ – the main topic of The Culture of Ageing project, by choosing to draw a parallel between the process of sculpting and the process of ageing on cellular level. Just like a cell loses its characteristics as it gets older, so does the sculpted (clay) cast deform over time.

During April and May, Abela spent two weeks in Groningen, The Netherlands, to do research for his new multimedia art work. Abela conducted research at The European Research Institute for the Biology of Ageing (ERIBA), where researchers attempt to locate the causes of ageing on cellular level, while also trying to prevent ageing. The artist spent several days at the research institute and spoke with members of the international research team.

After his time in Groningen, Abela organised a sculpting workshop with participants of various ages.

These two researches resulted in two videos that are part of ‘The Caster’. The work can be seen in Oldeberkoop until August 9. The Maltese public will be able to see an extensive version of Abela’s work as part of The Culture of Ageing exhibition, taking place at St James Cavalier, Valletta from August 31 to September 27.

The exhibition, produced by Valletta 2018 and Leeuwarden 2018, is part of this year’s edition of the Valletta International Visual Arts Festival (VIVA).