The Valletta 2018 Foundation is officially endorsing the academic celebration of Malta-based, British modern abstract artist Victor Pasmore (1908-1998).  The event is manged by Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti, in collaboration with the Central Bank of Malta, the Victor Pasmore Foundation and Palazzo Falson Historic House Museum. The locally heritage foundation already manages a permanent collection of a range of artworks by Pasmore through the Victor Pasmore Gallery in Valletta.

Now, as part of its education and outreach programme, Patrimonju is currently broadening its interest in Pasmore by a series of monthly free public talks and workshops held at the Gallery. The lectures shall remind us of the artist’s importance with special focus on his creative presence within the context of 20th-century Maltese modern art movement.

The public talks target students of art history and literature, the elderly and specifically British citizens residing in Malta. Spanning over the coming months leading to 2018, the talks programme seeks to inform the audience while raising awareness, encouraging discussion and generating ideas. The speakers, who have been engaged well in advance of the talks, shall engage in creative and innovative topics which can provide alternative ways of exploring the legacy of an artist in all the associated fields of expression.

The themes and speakers include:

11 April 2017 – The Ancient, Myth and Modern Art, talk by Dr Louis Lagana

16 May 2017 – Cultural Landscapes, Collections and Spaces, talk by Dr John Paul Cauchi

The ‘city and citizenship’ topics of the talks – especially those closely linked with the appreciation and preservation of cultural values – bring modern art enthusiasts and the general public together in an intimate dialogue-friendly gallery. This also coincides well with one the Valletta 2018 Foundation’s objective, namely the stimulation of cultural and social regeneration in the capital.

During the 2017 scholastic and summer period, Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti shall also set up a series of accompanying workshops for children and students. These shall include Hanging Sculptures, Patterns from Nature, Reading Myth and Interpretative Drawing. These are an extension of some of the main themes discussed in the public talks. Through these workshops Patrimonju intends to encourage children to refine their skills of observation, problem solving, creative thinking and imagination. The activities are largely an experimental exercise which grants participants complete freedom of expression with a special emphasis on the process and the understanding of the concepts under consideration.

For more news and information please also visit the official Facebook page of the Victor Pasmore Gallery.