Art in Common
Art in Common huwa proġett t’ arti pubblika kollaborattiva li jesplora t-tifsir doppju tal-kelma art, bħala prattika artistika bl-Ingliż u bħala art (art, art twelid) bil-Malti. Mibni fuq din it-tifsira doppja, il-proġett għandu l-għan li jimmaġina mill-ġdid u jsaħħaħ l-ambjent fiżiku komuni permezz tal-kollaborazzjoni artistika, filwaqt li joħloq rabtiet sinifikanti bejn il-post, il-komunità u l-prattika artistika kontemporanja.
Il-proġett qed jitwettaq fil-lokalitajiet kollha li jiffurmaw il-Kunsill Reġjonali tal-Port u jiġbor flimkien artisti emerġenti u artisti kontemporanji stabbiliti f’proċess ta’ djalogu mal-kunsilli lokali u mal-komunitajiet tagħhom. Dawn il-konversazzjonijiet iwasslu għall-iżvilupp ta’ interventi artistiċi permanenti u speċifiċi għas-sit, maħsuba biex jirriflettu l-identità, l-istorja u l-aspirazzjonijiet ta’ kull lokalità.
Minflok ma jqis l-arti pubblika bħala element sempliċement dekorattiv, Art in Common jħares lejn il-prattika artistika bħala katalist għall-ħolqien ta’ spazji aktar ħajjin, għat-tisħiħ tas-sens ta’ appartenenza u għall-parteċipazzjoni kulturali. Permezz tat-trasformazzjoni ta’ spazji pubbliċi magħżula b’installazzjonijiet maħsuba apposta, il-proġett jagħti valur viżiv dejjiemi lill-ambjent urban filwaqt li jħeġġeġ lir-residenti jesperjenzaw l-inħawi tagħhom b’mod ġdid u aktar sinifikanti.
Ikkoordinat minn Ryan Falzon, Art in Common jippromwovi l-kollaborazzjoni bejn l-artisti, l-awtoritajiet lokali u l-komunitajiet sabiex jinħolqu xogħlijiet permanenti li jsiru parti integrali mill-pajsaġġ kulturali tar-Reġjun tal-Port. Permezz ta’ dawn l-interventi artistiċi, il-proġett jiċċelebra s-sjieda kollettiva tal-ispazju pubbliku u juri kif l-arti tista’ tgħin biex issawwar il-postijiet li nsejħulhom pajjiżna.
Art in Common is a collaborative public art initiative that explores the layered meaning of the word art, as creative practice in English and as art (land or home) in Maltese. Rooted in this dual significance, the project seeks to reimagine and enrich the shared physical environment through artistic collaboration, creating meaningful connections between place, community, and contemporary artistic practice.
Taking place across the localities that form the Port Regional Council, the project brings together emerging and established contemporary artists to engage in a process of dialogue with local councils and their communities. These conversations inform the development of site-specific, permanent artistic interventions that respond to the identity, history, and aspirations of each locality.
Rather than viewing public art as a decorative addition, Art in Common positions artistic practice as a catalyst for placemaking, civic pride, and cultural participation. By transforming selected public spaces through thoughtfully conceived installations, the project contributes to a lasting visual uplift while encouraging residents to experience their everyday surroundings in new and meaningful ways.
Coordinated by Ryan Falzon, Art in Common fosters collaboration between artists, local authorities, and communities, resulting in enduring works that become part of the cultural landscape of the Port Region. Through these permanent interventions, the project celebrates the shared ownership of public space and demonstrates the power of art to shape the places we call home.
Xgħajra
L-ewwel installazzjoni li tlestiet fi ħdan Art in Common hija mural f’Xgħajra, maħduma mill-artist Cooker (Glenn Cauchi). Ix-xogħol jiċċelebra l-moviment, il-fitness u l-komunità, filwaqt li jittrasforma l-faċċata tal-gym pubbliku tal-lokalità f’punt ta’ referenza artistiku vibranti.
Ispirat mill-gym innifsu u mill-ambjent li jdawru, il-mural jintegra l-ftuħ tal-kampanja u tal-ispazji miftuħa li jħeġġu stil ta’ ħajja attiv. Il-kompożizzjoni turi residenti f’mumenti ta’ azzjoni, jisfidaw il-limiti tagħhom, isaħħu ġisimhom u jħaddnu l-importanza tal-attività fiżika, filwaqt li tirrifletti l-enerġija u l-ispirtu ta’ waħda mill-iżgħar lokalitajiet ta’ Malta.
Permezz ta’ kuluri vibranti u moviment dinamiku, Cooker joħloq xogħol li mhux biss jiċċelebra l-fitness, iżda wkoll l-importanza ta’ spazji pubbliċi li jinkoraġġixxu l-benesseri, l-għajxien attiv u l-involviment tal-komunità.
Nirringrazzjaw lill-artist ta’ dan il-kontribut siewi lejn il-lokalità ta’ Xgħajra u lejn il-pajsaġġ kulturali tar-Reġjun tal-Port.
Il-mural ġie inawgurat uffiċjalment fl-4 ta’ Awwissu 2026 u huwa l-ewwel xogħol komplut fi ħdan il-proġett Art in Common, bħala parti mill-programm Reġjun tal-Kultura 2026.
The first completed installation of Art in Common is a large-scale graffiti mural in Xgħajra by artist Cooker (Glenn Cauchi). Celebrating movement, fitness, and community, the mural transforms the exterior of the locality’s public gym into a vibrant visual landmark.
Drawing inspiration from the gym itself and its unique setting, the artwork embraces the openness of the surrounding landscape, where indoor exercise meets the outdoor spaces that have been transformed to encourage an active lifestyle. The composition captures residents in moments of action—testing their limits, building strength, and embracing physical wellbeing—reflecting the energy and aspirations of one of Malta’s youngest localities. Through bold colour and dynamic movement, Cooker creates a work that celebrates not only fitness but also the importance of accessible public spaces that inspire healthy living and community engagement.
We extend our sincere thanks to the artist for this valuable contribution to Xgħajra and to the cultural landscape of the Port Region. The mural was officially inaugurated on 4 August 2026 and marks the first completed installation of Art in Common, forming part of the 2026 Region of Culture programme.
Discover the artist
- https://www.facebook.com/humble.cooker/
- https://www.instagram.com/cooker_hkc/
Kalkara
G. Luigi Rossi’s Tifkiriet il-Baħar is a site-specific sculptural relief conceived for the Kalkara waterfront. Measuring approx. 500 cm in length by 150 cm in height, the work will be permanently installed on an existing wall along the promenade, creating a visual dialogue between the artwork and the sea that inspired it.
The relief portrays an imagined fishermen’s village from centuries past, sculpted in layered bas-relief with varying depths to create a rich three-dimensional landscape of boats, nets, dwellings, coastlines and figures whose lives were inseparable from the sea. Through carefully carved shadows and embossed forms, the work invites viewers to experience history as something living rather than distant. Rather than reconstructing a historically precise moment, the artwork explores a more profound truth, that although the appearance of fishing villages, technologies and societies has transformed over thousands of years, the spirit of the fisherman lifestyle remains remarkably constant.
The central idea of the project is expressed in one simple thought: The lifestyle has evolved, but it has never truly changed. Generations have replaced one another. Boats have changed. Tools have evolved. Harbours have expanded. Yet courage, perseverance, knowledge of the sea and the intimate relationship between humanity and water continue unchanged.
The sea remembers. Tifkiriet il-Baħar becomes a visual archive of those memories.
