V18 architecture showcase to be complete by end of summer

Excavation works in preparation for Valletta 2018 Foundation’s contemporary artistic installation Prospettiva started after all necessary permits were acquired.

Following lengthy meetings with all involved, works on site started earlier this week in coordination with the Malta Environment and Planning Authority (MEPA), the Ministry for Transport and Infrastructure, Transport Malta, the Government Works Department, the Department of Agriculture, the Environmental Landscapes Consortium and the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage.

Valletta 2018 Foundation believes that the most effective way to celebrate the European Capital of Culture is by putting creative thought at the forefront of its activities; hence, the communicative and celebratory dimensions of the structure are balanced by an imaginative and innovative use of space and location that may also take into account various factors like interactivity, visibility and even playfulness.

In Chris Briffa’s words, Valletta is a collection of eras, a summation of times on which layers of architecture pay homage to its stylistic preoccupations and ambitions. Prospettiva seeks to revisit the memories of one of Valletta’s most iconic sites – Bieb il-Belt – by means of an architectural performance engaging in perspective and apparition.

The installation is a temporal collage, juxtaposing the seminal changes in Valletta’s lifetime while highlighting its forthcoming agendas of European Capital of Culture. The five historic gates were studied, draughted and reinterpreted into a singular 2D icon; which was subsequently disassembled into different planes and anamporphic projections.

Chris Briffa’s installation was chosen by a jury made up of Richard England, Rupert Cefai and Carlo Schembri following a competition.

The Valletta 2018 Foundation apologises for any inconvenience caused while works are underway.