A four-storey Valletta house that was left uninhabited for the past 30 years has been rehabilitated to accommodate a contemporary photographic exhibition entitled Redprints; it consists of four collections by Alexandra Pace (b. 1977), who also took charge of the restoration and present minimalist set-up of the building.
The photographs – 56 portraits and studies – were shot specifically for this exhibition and all are printed in a limited edition of ten. They were created using medium format and 35mm photographic film.
Walking through the red door, red being synonymous with the exhibition title (not that red features anywhere else in particular, but perhaps will feature in the future in relation to redprints.com which is being launched with this exhibition), one encounters the only collection on the ground floor – the Santa Marija series. They ooze an atmosphere of cool enjoyment which is naturally synonymous with the feast and holiday. However, instead of capturing the usual fireworks and other festa revelry, Pace took her fish-eye lens alternatively to the beach and created lomographic underwater photographs.
The bathers are generally calm yet still in motion, with some suavely making their way through this restricted water world. It is as though a new world has been created where humans are pets relegated to a fishbowl and are made to play. This makes the photographs quite amusing to look at, more so because of the reality of the image. As a consequence, they may make some feel somewhat claustrophobic and cherish the air they’re breathing. This realisation makes the series seem somewhat serious, but looking around again brings back the comic element to it.
The three collections located on the second floor consist solely of black and white photographs. Moreover, in the last two collections, not only has colour disappeared completely, but so have the subtle grey tones that blend the black and white in Boutique. The photographs progressively become more a play of forms, forms inhabited in a bold, contrasting chiaroscuro, even more so in the last collection.
Probably the most successful, and which further demonstrates Pace’s imagination, is Boutique that centres on the female figure. An anonymous nude inhabits the realm of mannequins to become a commentary on beauty and femininity. Despite their crowded picture space, the compositions maintain balance. The human presence is barely noticeable at first, especially with the headless portrayal of most of these, which was probably exactly Pace’s intention, implying the fine line that exists between what is real and unreal.
This latter concern is a trait she shares with Vince Briffa that is present in his more recent installation pieces. No. 1 is such an example, being well composed with subtle chiaroscuro where grey tones break up the harshness between the figures and the background. ‘Her’ presence is easier to gauge when the composition is less clustered, such as in No 6, with the female’s self-assured stance.
The figures and objects in the black and white photographs are treated as forms. The subject may seem unimportant, merely a means to an end, but at the same time, this was clearly chosen to evoke the theme in question.
The other two collections are Soldier Boy and Maggie’s Kitchen, the first centering on the male anatomy and the other food still lifes. Alexandra Pace has in the former managed to bring out the grace and strength of the human male form. Some photographs, like the female nude images, are more overtly sensuous than others, but most are treated like studies, such as No. 15. Even though one can here see the male figure’s face, this does not distract from the anatomical focus, this in itself being a commentary on identity.
The only collection that does not feature the human figure is Maggie’s kitchen, a collection of studies of nature consisting of fruit and vegetable still lifes. More here than in the other black and white photographs, the subjects tend to disintegrate into the cavernously dark background, such as in the Onion where the foreground and background blend subtly together. But a stark contrast between the two is also present, such as in the Mushroom that is attractively bathed in an almost saintly light and can be distinctly made out.
Within these photographs a premeditated asymmetry plays an important role. What brings the exhibition and the location together are the minute details that denote a good eye for design that further substantiate the photographs.
Apart from the photographic collections, Pace must be commended for the use of this Valletta residence, for it is a rare eyeful. As one of my mentors rightly says, the best way to preserve architecture is to utilise it, sensibly of course. Upon the initiative of Kirsha Kaechele, a series of abandoned Creole cottages in New Orleans are being turned into gallery spaces. These would otherwise have been left to perish, just as is happening to some of the striking houses in our Renaissance-planned city with the seemingly latent approach being adopted to conservation in many cases.
On the ‘Redprints’ website is the diary of how this Valletta house was brought back to life in a few intensive weeks. A few select retro items found in the house were salvaged and are being showcased. These come as a reminder of the different phases in the building’s 400-year existence. Alexandra Pace is with this exhibition and endeavour adding a layer to the houses’ history.