The Ship (Unseen), by young Maltese artist Matthew Attard, is a reimagined version of The Ship, the project that represented Malta in the Maltese pavilion at the 2024 Venice Art Biennale.
For this pavilion, Attard explored the interaction of historic ship graffiti, contemporary painting, and digital technology. By examining a historical image through eye-tracking equipment as a drawing tool, Attard provokes reflections on contemporary reliance on digital technology.
RETOLD is an initiative that showcases projects by Maltese artists who have achieved success abroad, particularly at the London Design Biennale and the Venice Art Biennale. These projects are brought to Malta for exhibition in a remastered version, allowing the Maltese to enjoy them.
Dr Luke Dalli, Executive Chairman of the Arts Council Malta, said that the Council is ensuring that the skills of local artists, with projects that are achieving success abroad, are also enjoyed by the Maltese, in our own country: That is what RETOLD is all about.
Dr Dalli explained how, through an initiative such as RETOLD, on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Council’s establishment, the Maltese can understand and better appreciate local artists and creatives, and how Malta’s size is not an obstacle for our artists to excel abroad.
At Arts Council Malta, we believe that the arts have the capacity not only to document or celebrate, but also to reflect, critique, and remind us of what we have lost or ignored. RETOLD is a clear example of how Maltese artists are capable of telling stories that touch everyone’s heart, even when they emerge from a small and specific reality.
RETOLD is bringing these works back, while giving them new meaning and reminding us that every exhibition which represented Malta abroad also deserves its place here, helping to shape our collective memory.”
Elyse Tonna, project leader of The Ship [Unseen] stated: “We are proud and excited for this opportunity to showcase the project in Malta, after it enjoyed such a positive reception in Venice.
The project seeks to bridge the gap between Malta’s cultural past and its future, using AI to engage viewers in a dialogue about the intersection of history, technology, and artistic expression. It is fitting that the work should also find its home in the origins of its concept.”
