What happens in the space between being awake and falling into a dream? For artist Alexia Baldacchino, this elusive state has become the starting point for The Nectar of Sleep, an exhibition shaped by a deeply personal connection with sleep.

Inspired by the artist’s lifelong experience with insomnia, as well as her mother’s similar struggles, the exhibition is the result of more than a year of research into sleep, dreams and the mysterious territory in between.

Drawing on the atmospheric qualities of Renaissance art, particularly Leonardo da Vinci’s La Scapigliata, Alexia Baldacchino moves away from precision in favour of softness and ambiguity. Diffused light, gentle clouds and hazy forms create dreamlike environments where nothing appears entirely resolved. Much like the unfinished Renaissance work that inspired her, the paintings deliberately leave room for interpretation, reflecting the shifting nature of dreams and memory.

The exhibition also explores how our relationship with sleep has changed in the modern age. Data collected through a sleep-monitoring app, including wave-like patterns and fragmented records of rest, has found its way into the artist’s creative process. At the same time, The Nectar of Sleep questions the growing commodification of rest, as sleep becomes something to measure, optimise and perfect through wellness trends, routines and technology.

A soundscape inspired by Renaissance and Medieval music adds another sensory layer, creating an immersive environment that encourages visitors to slow down and reflect.

For Alexia Baldacchino, this exploration of atmosphere is a natural extension of her creative practice. Having previously explored photography, songwriting, poetry, singing and design, she returned to painting more than two decades later, drawn to its ability to capture sensations that are often difficult to put into words.

Through The Nectar of Sleep, she invites audiences to embrace uncertainty and consider sleep not simply as rest, but as a space for healing, creativity and self-discovery.

Will you be visiting this exhibition?