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This Week maltatoday, SUNDAY, 26 FEBRUARY 2017

Capturing
Mark Magro
abandoned spaces
TEODOR RELJIC speaks to curator Mark Magro, whose multimedia experience Forgotten
Landscapes incorporating visual arts, film and a publication shines a light on some of
Maltas derelict landscape features through the work of various painters and photographers
Could you guide us through the genesis
of the Forgotten Landscapes project?
As someone with Maltese roots but who
grew up in Canada, how do you view
these forgotten landscapes, and what
made them intriguing to you for artistic
exploration?
The Forgotten Landscapes idea started
in film school in Toronto. I was in the doc-
umentary part of the course and I began
to explore the possibility of combining my
love of history and art together to make
exciting documentaries. Ive always loved
abandoned locations because of their soli-
tude and mystery and for my first docu-
mentary, I produced it on an abandoned
farm north of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
The research, planning, collaborating and
documentary film-making process cap-
tured my imagination and with that the
idea was to produce two more documen-
taries on abandoned locations and pitch it
for a television series.
Over the course of time, it was rejected
and the idea was tossed around into a web
series, book series, and so on. It was not
until I came to Malta from Canada to live
in 2015 when I decided to focus the loca-
tions to four abandoned locations and to Jeni Caruana paints on site at Fort Campbell
use painters to visualise a moment in time
of these forgotten places. These four lo-
cations were fascinating because of their The main challenge of a project in this Through my landlord, I was able to make places back to life. However, there is still a
beauty, location, accessibility and histori- nature is to describe the human elements first contact with artists. By word-of- stigma in the population that these places
cal data. In the end, these places can tell of these abandoned structures. Ive always mouth and the interest in the idea helped will be here forever and that some places
us about ourselves through the passage of tried to grapple with trying not to produce me obtain the artists involved in the pro- can be neglected. Restoration is done but
time, they can reveal how we used to live, a dry historical documentary on these ject. All artists are living in Malta, have a a proper archival system and database of
how society evolved or devolved in some places. It is easy to get lost into the techni- unique sense of art and perspective which these places are required for future gen-
cases and a reminder of what we can do to cal history of the places. This was one of is key to this project as I wanted each loca- erations. This is a project I would love to
make the future a better place. the criticisms I received when pitching for tion to be portrayed differently. take part in.
funding. Ive tried to modify the elements
It seems as though youve tried to get of the project to fit certain criteria but the What do you think the project says What do you make of the local arts
the project off the ground for a few core element of the project had to stay the about the state of Maltas built heritage? scene? What would you change about
times, but never quite got the financial same or else I would have not enjoyed it. What do you think can be done to it?
backing you wanted until now. What improve it? Before I arrived in Malta, I was aware
do you think made the project so How did you go about choosing the Malta has gone a long way in the last that there was a small art scene through
challenging, and what inspired you to artists that now form part of the several years to try to restore and utilise my premiere of one of my films at the Val-
persevere with it? project? adaptive architecture to bring derelict letta Film Festival in 2013 but once I ar-
rived and was introduced to many artists
through my friend Kristina Quintano, I
Artist Mark Mallia chose Jerma Palace as his was able to see that Malta is bursting with
contribution to Forgotten Landscapes creativity. The amount of art being pro-
duced here is amazing through different
venues, forms and experimentation. This
is exciting and something I hope to be part
of in the future.

Whats next for you?

Well, after this exhibition I hope to pitch
this once again and develop this into a long
running series of exhibitions. Imagine tell-
ing the story of abandoned locations all
over the world, working with different
artists such as painters, dancers, etc... col-
laborating with historians in exploring the
stories of these places and exhibiting them
through photography, literature and film.
This is my goal.

Forgotten Landscapes features the work

of Marika Borg, Caroline Said Lawrence,
Mark Mallia, Jeni Caruana, Kristina
Quintano and Mark Magro. It will remain
on display at Spazju Kreattiv at St James
Cavalier, Valletta until April 2