What does it mean to go down the rabbit hole, or to fall into one? The phrase has become a metaphor for being transported into a wonderfully (or disturbingly) surreal state or into a bizarre, confusing, and often nonsensical situation.
This exhibition, the first in its series, at il-Kamra ta’ Fuq, brings together five artists — Maria Baldacchino, Karl Fröman, Maria Fröman, SJ Fuerst, and Luca Indraccolo — each exploring these surreal states in unique ways, both stylistically through their chosen media and conceptually through the themes they tackle.
In this show, SJ Fuerst paints on small inflatable pool toys, rendering them in her signature hyperrealist style. Inflatables are a recurring feature in her work; however, here she takes things a step further. The plastic animals are stuffed, evoking taxidermy specimens found in natural history museums. These are then juxtaposed against classical-looking backgrounds, creating a whimsical yet striking contrast.
Karl Fröman, meanwhile, incorporates LEGO in some of his pieces — constructing animals from the iconic bricks and then recapturing them in 2D through painting. Maria Fröman’s still-life works recall Dalí’s Nature Morte Vivante, as she presents a series of apples that appear to defy gravity. This subject also nods to another great surrealist, Magritte.
Luca Indraccolo presents seemingly surreal scenarios, such as a masked man — Pulcinella — sitting comfortably atop a pile of garbage or religious objects placed in unexpected contexts. His works are inspired by his upbringing in Naples and his reflections on its current social realities.
Maria Baldacchino offers a series of figures set within abstract environments — enigmatic scenes that might narrate a hundred stories or perhaps none at all.
This body of work invites viewers to delve into the possible narratives behind each piece, sparking the imagination to explore the why and what of the stories they may hold.