Out today with The Malta Independent on Sunday
Cover – painting by Liliana Fleri Soler
Restorer Erika Falzon
Georg Jensen
Interior designer Greta Apap Bologna
Interior of a flat by designer Kevin Micallef
Labarere
The beautiful face of the Madonna icon at the Church of Our Lady of Victory, Valletta
Moissonnier
Restorer Pierre Bugeja
Restoring an antique console at Prevarti
The Madonna icon at the Church of Our Lady of Victory, Valletta, currently being restored with sponsorship from PriceWaterhouseCoopers
Ikat rug in bamboo silk from The Rug Company
The evocative inscription on the back of a large wardrobe at the Wignacourt Museum in Rabat
The newly restored Wignacourt Museum – a joint project between the church and private business, with excellent results
One of the rooms at the Wignacourt museum – many of the paintings have been restored over the last 18 months
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This is the stuff that makes life worth living.
The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls. PP.
‘What is art?’ is really an impossible question to answer satisfactorily in a short sentence (and perhaps not even at length). I like the attempt you quote above.
One of my favorites remains that of JMW Turner who said that
“Art is a rum thing.”
JMW was the quintessential Englishman hence the very strong idiomatic emphasis.
PP was global in outlook.
The two great artists’ interpretations though, in essence, are very similar.
I think within Malta this has become an essential necessity.
Given the restricted physical space and political discourse revolving mainly around its effects, the party in synch being the one to acknowledge it, will be the one to move Malta to the next step.
Whereas this remains the tool to invent new space common to everyone. Taking over wants with the superfluous will eliminate the former’s disadvantage. Quantity becomes an obstacle, something it already is.
Daphne has a generosity of spirit rarely understood. Which is why she’s loathed by those who won’t accept reality’s proportions. But then, how can they contradict her work?
I can rarely read through your mystifying posts, Jozef, but I think you’re right on the “generosity of spirit”.
Looks lovely. Prosit.
Just one little point: Prosit. Another: Our Lady of Victories” not Victory.
[Daphne – I believe it’s ‘victory’, as in Athena Nike.]
Daphne is right. The church is named after the one and only victory – 1565 over the Turks. Or so our history books say as the Turkish ones consider it as a non-event, a small issue.
[Daphne – Yes, but I believe the ‘victory’ in Our Lady of Victory is a generic victory as in Athena Nike (Athena, Goddess of Victory).]
:D
I thought you were talking about Nike sportswear or Athena greeting cards!
Of course I know what you are referring to. Actually, I never saw it in that way, possibly due to the strong connections that church has to the 1565 episode.
Beautiful. Can’t wait to pick up a copy.
Just got a skype from my Canadian relatives. (they follow your blog) Ordered me to send it ASAP.
Wignacourt museum is the shizznizz. And I salute Fr John Azzopardi.
I’ve always admired restorers and I am very happy to see that in Malta we have our own ones and we don’t have to depend always on foreigners.
It’s nice to see these young restorers working on important jobs. They have all my admiration.
Simply beautiful.
Prosit and keep up the good work.
Great!
Congratulations. This is a very beautiful magazine.
Sorry, but I am changing the subject.
Our piece of mind and future depend on Franco Debono but this does not seem to concern him. For him this is just a game between himself and Gonzi. The title of one of his blog posts says it all:
‘Dr Gonzi now can run but he can’t hide – checkmate’
I can’t agree with you there. Nothing really depends on Franco Debono.
If he votes against the budget he might bring the election date forward by a month, two at most. I doubt whether that will make much difference to the overall result. So no matter what happens, he’ll still be a little insignificant snot-rag.
[Daphne – Totally wrong. If parliament is dissolved normally after the budget vote, things proceed as normal, with that budget for the year. If the budget is defeated and the government collapses, there is no budget until around April or May, with the ensuing chaos and lack of consumer confidence.]
I detect a Freudian slip here Dudu.
When you said ‘piece’ of mind you must have been thinking Franco.
Oh for crap’s sake! I’m so fed up with this Franco Debono BS. Why doesn’t Austin Gatt just resign already?
By doing so, he would force Debono to vote with the government on the budget and he would make himself into a party martyr and hero. There are only a couple of months left to the elections anyway and Gatt will not be contesting anyway.
Why allow Debono to continue this charade? Dr. Gatt, resign and you will be respected all the more for it.
Aha; we needed this fresh breeze for a while – somewhat far from it all. Dudu please do not spoil the thrill.
Prosit!
I have been posting on franco debono’s blog all day asking him to tell me directly how long did he stay in university? for how many years did he study at university before graduating?
but he isn’t answering or showing my comments?
daphne – check why…. i am just making a question! – why is franco not answering such a simple question? why isn’t he telling us for how many years did he study at university? was it more or less than usual?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am just asking i am not alleging anything! – just a simple question – why isn’t he answering me?!
guzeppi tal-mosta
kullhadd jafni
franco mhux igib il-kummenti tieghi u qed nippostjahom hawn minflok:
bhal ma gieli tennejt fuq dan il-blog, jiena bniedem anzjan, skola ghamilt biss sal-primarja imma nassigurak li bqajt nitghallem u ghadni nitghallem. tghallimt nikteb u naqra meta kelli 40 u issa anke l-kompjuter ghallmuni n-neputijiet.
franco ma kienx imur universita kieku ma kienx eddie li fetaha ghal kullhadd
pero’ jidher li l-universita li mar ma swiet ghalxejn ghax anqas jikteb bil-malti sew ma jaf!
ftit iktar l-isfel kiteb “ighid” flok “jghid” !! u tghidx kemm ninnota zbalji u hmerijiet li jikteb u l-ingliz tieghu qisu tal-vavi! – ghalkemm kultant f’daqqa wahda johrog b’xi bloggata qisu kitbu xi awtur brillanti! jew ghandu double personality jew ma nafx kif nispjegah dan il-fatt!!
guzeppi tal-mosta
kullhadd jafni
daqt ikolli l-blog tieghi
konversazzjoni bejn zewgt ihbieb bhal llum sena….
joe: tiftakar il-milied li ghadda kif ghaddejnih habba franco debono u b’kemm kien ‘attention seeking’
charlie: franco min?
joe: franco debono u ejja, kien mp mal-pn u ghamel sena jaghmel it-teatrini u fotta milied ghal tal-business is-sena l-ohra
charlie: iva issa qed niftakar. dak x’sar minnu?
joe: ma nafx imma smajt li issa qed jaghmila ta; avukat tal-kuruna u hadd ma ghadu jiftakar fih!
charlie: anqas haqq it-teatrini li ghamel ghax l-elezzjoni xorta f’marzu saret meta ried dr. gonzi u bis-sahha tal-vici kap simon busuttil u tal-vici prim ministru tonio fenech ergajna erbahna l-elezzjoni, forsi vera mhux b’hafna imma l-aqwa li ergajna erbahna.
joe: imnalla ta ghax issa l-pajjiz sejjer tajjeb, xoghol, smart city fethet, belt valletta kif jixraq lil pajjizna, teatru lest, parlament kif suppost, air malta taghmel il-qliegh, zieda fil-pagi u taxxi mnaqqsa. dan kollu franco debono prova jtellifulna imma nirringrazjaw lil prim ministru taghna li ma hallihx!!
charlie: ergajna qbadna t-triq t-tajba tassew joe, il-milied it-tajjeb ha jkolli nhallik issa ghax ha nkompli x-shopping
….u charlie f’mohhu jghid “missu tela joseph muscat kieku probabli bhalissa qed nittalbu bieb il-belt u mhux dehlin naghmlu x-shopping tal-milied u nixtru r-rigali!”
guzeppi tal-mosta
kullhadd jafni
daqt ikolli blog tieghi
What has happened to the more recent posts of Franco Debono’s blog – those that cropped up after the budget was read?Why did he remove them?
Was it because he could not cope with the barrage of criticism he was getting about his insistence on giving thE thumbs down to the budget?
http://www.francodebono.com/2012/10/01/happy-christmas/
Franco the Christmas Grinch wrote this way back in October.
Way to go Franco, you has-been.
Dear Madam ,
You wrote this a year ago.
http://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/2011/12/franco-the-christmas-grinch/
“I hate having to write this for publication in Christmas week, but I am left with no choice because Franco Debono, manifesting the contempt for other people’s enjoyment of the season which Dom Mintoff showed year upon year before him, has decided this is the appropriate time to try and spoil things in a last-ditch attempt at getting people to look at him before the year is out.”
How right you were then.
The festive season is with us again. Dr Debono this time is planning to stop the Befana (with no insult meant to Dr Gonzi or Dr Fenech) from delIvering the budget goodies for everybody with the new year.
http://www.maltastar.com/dart/20121202-debono-will-vote-against-budget-to-destroy-oligarchy
That hateful, spiteful little crock of porcine excrement.
He will vote against the budget to spoil the positive proposals that meant more money in the pockets for all families next year.
He must be the most unpopular person in Malta right now.
What about this thought? How about “asking” Austin Gatt (who said he will not contest the next elections) to give up his seat in Parliament and have Simon Busuttil co-opted?
This, I think, would satisfy a “yes” vote for the budget, by Franco Debono. However, I wonder whether Austin will agree.
What an interesting magazine. I loved reading about the Wignacourt Museum and also those features on our talented young restores.
I was struck by some of the beautiful paintings, most particularly a small 18th-centuary picture of a dog in Erika Falzon’s studio. Well done for such a lovely publication.
And to the comment by Dudu on Franco Debono, if only he could take time off, leave us in peace and appreciate art we have with the same passion of hate he has for our respected politicians.
Nothing to do with this excellent magazine but worth thinking about.
http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/whistleblowers-treatment-exposes-dark-side-of-obama-20121202-2aowh.html
Re Labour’s road poster “Labour delivers : Can anybody tell us WHAT is there to be delivered? up to now no one has told us. If you want my vote, you have to tell me what I am voting for.
Looks grand. You should have considered perhaps naming the mag “soleil” or “etoile”. They have the same french sound like “fleur”!
[Daphne – It’s Flair, not Fleur. They are completely different words with totally different meanings, and the pronunciation is very different, too. But thank you for the rare compliment.]
What, solar flare?
Pleb.
Riveting publication, as always. The photography, the research, the design, the print quality.
Well done indeed.
Looking forward to Taste now. Next issue is this Sunday right?
[Daphne – Thank you. Yes, it is.]