On January 5th, at Spazju Kreattiv, Festivals Malta, in collaboration with Spazju Kreattiv, opened the exhibition Wiċċ il-Karnival: Wirja t’Uċuħ u Maskri (Carnival Faces: An Exhibition of Faces and Masks), which explores the art of crafting carnival papier-mâché faces and masks.
The exhibition, which is free to the public, will be open until March 16th.
Featuring around eleven papier-mâché heads created by the Carnival companies Landa Carnival Company, Triton Carnival Company, and DreamTeam Carnival Company, the exhibit showcases some of the best likenesses these artists have crafted in recent years.
The pieces include portraits of internationally known celebrities such as Snoop Dogg, Walt Disney, and even the famous alien, E.T.
The exhibition also includes mask work by Michael Grech, a Birgu-based artist who, inspired by a tourist’s question about traditional Maltese masks, created interpretations of how the traditional Maltese mask might look in his project called “Wiċċ Laskri.”
Festivals Malta Chairman, Mr. Aaron Zahra, noted that Wiċċ il-Karnival is one of the events that Festivals Malta is organising beyond the traditional Carnival celebrations, aiming to increase public and tourist interest in Maltese Carnival arts.
The exhibition also marks the launch of the Carnival program, which culminates between February 28 and March 4 in Valletta and Floriana.
For more information, visit www.festivals.mt/karnival. The Maltese Carnival is organised by Festivals Malta with the support of the Ministry for National Heritage, the Arts, and Local Government, and GSD Marketing Ltd.
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