Sarah Maria Scicluna: 'Everything is temporary, everything passes'

Sarah Maria Scicluna is a lecturer at MCAST Institute for the Creative Arts and a visual artist.  Her work is a continuous exploration of ritual and systems, with a strong emphasis on the process. Currently, Sarah Maria’s solo exhibition The Infinite Labyrinth is on at il-Kamra ta’ Fuq, until 10 September.

What’s the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning?

Have a coffee and a cigarette.

What is the best advice you’ve ever received?

Everything is temporary, everything passes.

What do you never leave the house without?

Keys and phone.

Pick three words that describe yourself

Quiet, opinionated, observant.

What do you consider to be your greatest achievement?

Having amazing relationships with really amazing people.

What is your guiltiest pleasure?

Wanting to spend time alone.

What is the most important lesson life has taught you?

Life is not a competition; the most important thing is to be your best self to be happy and satisfied with your life.

Property and cars aside what’s the most expensive thing you’ve ever bought?

My MacBook pro.

What is one thing you wish you knew when you were younger?

That life is not a competition.

Who’s your inspiration?

Anyone who loves to help people, not expecting anything in return. And my niece, who showed everyone what it means to overcome any challenge.

What has been your biggest challenge?

Accepting that sometimes there isn’t anything to do about a situation, other than wait.

If you weren’t an artist, what would you be doing?     

If I wasn’t an artist, I would be a chef.

Do you believe in God?

This is a complicated question, which would require a very complicated answer.

If you could have dinner with any person, dead or alive, who would it be?

At the moment, I think I would have to say Franz Kafka.

What’s your worst habit?

Smoking.

What are you like when you’re drunk?

Extremely chatty and full of ideas which I might not really want to carry out later.

Who would you have play you in a film?

Sarah Paulson, for no particular reason.

What is the trait you most deplore in others?

Jealousy, nothing good ever comes from that.

What music would you have played at your funeral?

The Moldau by Bedrich Smetana.

What is your most treasured material possession?

My laptop probably as it contains most of my life and work. And my apartment because I put so much time into transforming it into a home.

What is your earliest memory?

My brother falling down the stairs at my grandma’s house. It was also when I started realizing that I don’t like the sight of blood.

When did you last cry, and why?

I don’t cry often, so I don’t remember. But I can bet that it was some movie where a dog died.

Who would you most like to meet?

Marsha P. Johnson.

What’s your favourite food?

Pasta!

Who’s your favourite person on social media right now?

I don’t really have a favourite person on social media, but I have a lot of favourite dogs.

If you could travel in time, where would you go?

3,000 years into the future! I’m very curious about that.

What book are you reading right now?

I have many started at the moment. One which I’m most excited about is Release The Beast by Bimini Bon Boulash.

If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

Teleportation. It would help avoid traffic.

What’s one thing you want to do before you die?

More art, and make sure that the people in my life are happy.

What music are you listening to now?

Yin Yin.

In the shower or when you’re working out, what do you sing/listen to?

Podcasts mostly.