A Similar New

Text from the curator, Michael P. Bock

“To see that with which you see.

Adrian Abela’s exhibition presents three light pieces, one object, and two spray-paintings, reflecting the field of artistic research he has been occupied with for a long time. Each work is understood as a fragment that has a single subject or denomination, i.e. fractalization of or from nature.

The choice and positioning of the works in the room reflect the particular situation of the given space, in other words it is a site-specific installation.

The exhibition is an exploration of structures we can find in Maltese flora, in this particular case the interior organic contexture of cactus leaves and the rather regular, more geometric construction of a Fennel plant. Using a combination of dried prickly pear 'leaf skeletons' and specific lighting sources, the artist plays with light and shadow, micro and macro perspectives, positive and negative spaces, characteristics relevant to both architecture and the visual arts.

The exhibition also explores the area of functional and non-functional objects, of autonomous sculpture that can be turned into mass-production.”