UNEARTHING METAL: A DISTANCE IN TIME

Unearthing Realms: A Distance in Time was an exhibition curated by Hannah Dowling for the APS Mdina Cathedral Contemporary Art Biennale (2020), with the assistance of Dr Nikki Petroni, and under the artistic direction of Prof. Giuseppe Schembri Bonaci.

As part of the APS Mdina Cathedral Contemporary Art Biennale, an exhibition is curated which celebrates the a particular Maltese Master of Modern Art. In this respect, the 2020 edition unearthed the forgotten metal sculptures of Toni Pace (1930-1989), with an exhibition which allowed this sculptures to be appreciated in their own right for the first time ever.

Toni Pace was a Maltese artist who produced his metal sculptures in the 1960s. Despite having studied alongside Maltese modern artists who are now well-renowned, he is perhaps the lesser published of the masters. His unique handling of steel conveys a talent which surpasses the ordinary, for he transforms sculptures beyond their conventional qualities, immersing the viewer and artist into a new dimension by catapulting these historic pieces to the present day, thus transforming the direction of Maltese art.

Essentially, these modern masterpieces transmute within the surroundings which they inhabit. Therefore, by placing them within the Baroque and Medieval context of the Mdina Cathedral museum, this allows for a beautiful paragon created between the diverse art historical periods, thus constantly shifting the perspectives of the viewers in a beautifully intertwined compositional play of light and atmosphere. By placing them at intervals throughout the museum they serve as the middle ground for the two extremes of traditional and contemporary art, which will find itself at play during the Biennale.