a year in review 2024
Introduction
In Search of Line , which opened in September 2023, moved into the new year having been granted an extension period. The exhibition which explores the nature and manifestation of the line through the works of the Maltese modern masters and some by Pasmore himself, was designed by Michael Lowell and curated by Sarah Chircop.
Curious Beauty – An Alternative Costume exhibition opened in April at Palazzo Falson and was an astounding success. The various rooms of the Palazzo became the home of historic costumes and accessories displayed in contemporary installations – the creative vision of Michael Lowell, Caroline Tonna and Francesca Balzan.
Giovanni Bonello returned with a new series of his well-loved and highly anticipated More Histories. To feature eight in total, two of these were published this year through the generous financial assistance of the Francis Miller Memorial Fund.
In June the Victor Pasmore collection finally opened again in its new home. Entitled The Eye and the Symbol , the permanent collection features works of art previously seen as well as some newly displayed works. A series of thematic events related to the collection were organised throughout the year and a catalogue of the collection was published.
At the VP Gallery we established a Digitisation Studio to create an archive dedicated to preserving and showcasing the works and legacies of the Maltese Modern artists. This will eventually be made accessible to the public online.
Palazzo Falson has had another enterprising year organising special tours and children’s workshops. Again, they earned the Quality Assured Malta award as well as the Trip Advisor Traveller’s Choice Award 2024 and can now be found on the online guide Homo Faber.
As we look forward to another successful year, we remain forever grateful to our sponsors and supporters who make all this possible.
Joe Grioli Chairman
January - March
The new year began with the continuation of the exhibition In Search of Line which saw the exploration of the line through the ages, with an emphasis on the Maltese Modern artists as well as some of Pasmore’s works.
performance and to view his personal archives, a lecture on Archives and How they Live and a tour of the exhibition In Search of Line. Palazzo Falson celebrated Valentine’s Day and Women’s Day with specially
created tours and the first of the quarterly Treasures of Malta was published.
As of January, the Victor Pasmore Gallery now forms part of the Bloomberg Connects App, a free download in which over 350 art institutions are listed and ready to be explored. The Victor Pasmore Gallery is the first from Malta to be included.
In February FPM was delighted to collaborate with the Frank Portelli Archives on the project Frank u Jien which involved a visit to Portelli's house for a
April - June
In April, FPM presented Curious Beauty: An Alternative Costume Exhibition at Palazzo Falson Historic House Museum.
Under the artistic direction of Michael Lowell, Caroline Tonna and Francesca Balzan, historic costume and accessories from the State, Church and important private collections were displayed in contemporary art installations against the backdrop of the beautifully evocative medieval Palazzo Falson.
The exhibition was open until June, with a program of exhibition events organised alongside it, and a catalogue was published.
The Eye and the Symbol, the permanent collection of Victor Pasmore’s works, opened at the VP Gallery on 1 June.Visitors are taken on a journey of Pasmore’s artistic career in Malta as they view an array of works – some previously displayed and others as yet unseen, as they examine Pasmore's relationship with the Maltese islands through the various mediums and materials he used during his three decades living in Malta.
After much anticipation Giovanni Bonello released the first volume of his new More Histories series. In Falling in Eden: An Anthology of Stories on Crime in Malta, Bonello continues his mission to record and recount Malta's fascinating microhistory. This new book series has been generously funded by the Francis Miller Memorial Fund, and is published by FPM in partnership with Kite Group, with illustrations by Rebecca Bonaci.
A) Michael Lowell, Francesca Balzan and Caroline Tonna at the opening of Curious Beauty: an Alternative Costume Exhibition. Photo: Inigo Taylor
B-D) Guests at the opening of the Curious Beauty costume exhibition at Palazzo Falson. Photos: Inigo Taylor
E) Giulia Privitelli with Tina Camilleri at the Friday Talks session - Sensing Sound
F-G) The Launch of Giovanni Bonello's More Histories Volume 1: Falling in Eden, at the Casino Maltese, Valletta
July - September
The VP Gallery launched the Friday Talk Series, the first of which first invited associate editor and gallery curator Giulia Privitelli and Valentina Lupo, Director at Atelier del Restauro, to delve into a unique exploration of the restorative process of Pasmore’s work.
New attributions have been made to two paintings in the collection at Palazzo Falson, Diana and Actaeon and the Four Seasons by Dr. Odette D’Albo, curator at Credito Emiliano art collections in Reggio Emilia. Dr D'Albo presented her findings in a lecture at Palazzo Falson in August.
Palazzo Falson also organised a themed tour on People, Trades and Traditions, linking Gollcher’s
collections to Maltese cultural heritage.
The summer edition of Treasures of Malta was published in August, whilst the European
University Institute Library which now boasts a Melitensia section also includes some books and an almost complete series of the journal Treasures of Malta donated by FPM.
October - December
As part of the official outreach program for I Will Follow the Ship, a special session of readings from the publication accompanying this year's Maltese pavilion at the Venice Biennale took place this month at the VP Gallery. FPM was involved with the proofreading of this publication and was delighted to host this event.
October also saw the start of Wednesday Lunchtime Tours at the Gallery, taking place weekly at 1pm.
In the second edition of the Friday Talks Series, Sensing Sound, Tina Camilleri from Electronic Music Malta presented a live demo as she engaged sonically with
selected works in the room. This led to a discussion on the relationship between sound and art, with particular reference to Pasmore's work.
Yet another series of events commenced in November at the VP Gallery – the Open Mic Series, the first of which was entitled ON FORM/
FUQ FORMA. In this series collaboration with Inizjamed, the public is invited to discuss specific themes found in Pasmore’s work.
Towards the end of the year FPM started work on the forthcoming exhibition, Emvin Cremona’s Glass Collage Series. Commonly known as the Broken Glass pieces, Cremona’s works not only reflect the tensions of the era in which they were created but also serves as an exploration of the tensions within matter itself, and the very processes of creationdestruction-recreation. The exhibition is due to open in Spring of next year.
At the VP Gallery we have also set up a digitisation studio with
the aim of archiving as much material as possible related to the Modern Maltese Artists and of course Pasmore. This archive will be a vital resource and will contain photographs, newspaper cuttings, and other documentation that offer insight into the artists' lives and works, as well as their socio-political context over the past century. From the publishing sector, the second volume of Giovanni Bonello’s Histories series was published. In Blaming it on Eve, Bonello presents revaluations of history with women as protagonists in the socioeconomic and cultural timeline of Malta.
organisged two themed tours over the Autumn period – Tales, Legends and other Dark Curiosities took place in October and The Joy of Celebrations happened in November.
Also, the final issue of Treasures of Malta was published in December. Palazzo Falson
School Visits and Children’s Workshops at Palazzo Falson
Palazzo Falson also hosted several children’s workshops in 2024, focusing on themes such as light, art, and cultural traditions. Workshops included hands-on activities like crafting sun-catchers, creating candleholders, and making wigs and hats inspired by the Curious Beauty exhibition. Special events also included a Halloween night, a Christmas Crib series, and workshops related to Olof Gollcher’s travel collections. These programs engaged children aged 3-12, helping them explore history, science, and culture through creative activities.
Palazzo Falson welcomed numerous school groups throughout the year, including local schools and international students. Visits often featured guided tours of the museum and exhibitions, with special activities such as augmented reality games and storytelling sessions. Notable groups included students from San Anton School, St. Venera Primary, MCAST, and Luther College. In March students from the Institution Notre Dame des Minimes visited Palazzo Falson Historic House Museum as part of their Erasmus program with the Newark in Malta school. Students from the Malta Tourism and Languages Institute and the those from the National Sports School also visited the museum and took part in the educational tours and activities on offer.
In Spring, the VP Gallery will hold an exhibition on one of Malta’s foremost modern artists – Emvin Cremona, on the subject of his Glass Collage Works. Often referred to as the Broken Glass Series, the exhibition will aim to uncover the artist’s intentions behind this fascinating series while also exploring the historicalpolitical-technological context in which he was working.
It will be another busy year for our Publications sector with a catalogue accompanying the Emvin Cremona exhibition and another two of Giovanni Bonello’s More Histories to be published.
Film and Cinemagoing in Malta by Charlie Cauchi is set for
publication in Autumn and Treasures of Malta will as usual be available quarterly.
A complete history of the Royal Opera House meticulously researched and penned by theatre historian Vicki Ann Cremona, The Malta Royal Opera House: Staging Culture and Power, relates to the functional and symbolic value transmitted through the space of the Royal Opera House in Valletta. This is set to be published at the end of the year with the generous support of the Manoel Theatre, Farson's Foundation, and RIDT.
Digitisation of the archives of the Modern Maltese Artists will continue in our studio. We recognise the importance
of preserving these legacies for future generations and also investigating the relationship some of these artists had with Victor Pasmore.
FONDAZZJONI PATRIMONJU MALTI
The Chairman and Board of Governors of Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti would like to thank the following donors for their support
THE MARTIN LAING FOUNDATION
PERSONAL SUPPORTERS
BENEFACTORS
MR JEAN CLAUDE GANDUR ASSOCIATES
CORPORATE SUPPORTERS
Francis Miller Memorial Fund
PATRONS
PERSONAL
Simon Abrahams & Francesca Del Rio
Mr Neville Agius & Dr Sabine Agius Cabourdin
Mrs Janatha Stubbs
CamilleriParis Mode – Mr Paul Camilleri
Eden Leisure Group – Mr Ian De Cesare
Forestals Group of Companies – Mr Tancred Tabone
Gasan Group Limited – Mr Ian Sultana
Gianpula Village – Dr Roger de Giorgio
Good Earth Distributors Ltd – Mr Nikolai de Giorgio
GVZH Advocates – Dr Michael Grech
IIG Bank (Malta) Ltd – Mr Raymond Busuttil
John Ripard & Son (Shipping) – Mr Joseph Chetcuti
Lombard Bank Malta plc – Mr Joseph Said
Mapfre Middlesea plc – Mr Martin Galea
Miller Distributors Ltd – Mr Malcolm G. Miller
CORPORATE
O. F. Gollcher and Sons Ltd – Mr Karl Gollcher PwC – Mr David Valencia
RiskCap International Ltd – Dr Paul Magro Rizzo, Farrugia & Co. (Stockbrokers) Ltd – Mr Vincent J. Rizzo
Satariano – Ms Natasha Chapelle Paleologo
Shireburn Software Limited – Ms Yasmin de Giorgio
Sigma Coatings (Malta) Ltd – Mr Anthony Critien
The Alfred Mizzi Foundation – Mr Julian Sammut
Tug Malta Ltd – Dr George Abela
Virtù Steamship Co. Ltd – Mr Charles A. Portelli
Zammit Pace Advocates – Dr Roderick Zammit Pace