Homo Melitensis day. Early start, trek from Mestre to the Arsenale which involved a bus and a great long walk from Piazzale Roma. I managed not to get lost thanks to Google Maps which was great. The Arsenale approach was marked with a long queue of people waiting to get in and a very penis-looking arrow pointing to it.
Inside was an assault of artworks. My eyes moved quickly from one piece to the other, stopping for slightly longer here and there but in general trying to make it through to see the Malta pavilion as quickly as possible. I found some works impossible to walk by though and many others had the same walking pattern, it seems that what pulls us humans in initially is quite similar.
Seeing Homo Melitensis live after close to three months of seeing bits was a wonderful experience. Setup team Tom, Martina and Aaron (with Bettina, Raphael and Jon the designer) did a really impressive job putting the whole thing up. It’s an intricate exhibition full of tiny corners, made up out of the 19 chapters that each work as standalone pieces.
It’s a nod to our identity as Maltesers, one that looks from outside and within, with both a critical eye and a lot of love.
Launch events happened at both the stand and at a palazzo where interior designer of Maltese origin Francis Sultana hosted very fabulous drinks.
By the evening I was shattered and headed home quite early, hoping to manage to have a good look around tomorrow.