Following a brief pause at the height of summer, Valletta Contemporary – an art gallery founded by artist and collector Norbert Francis Attard – is back in full swing, welcoming visitors to its ongoing exhibition, Cumulus, curated by none other than the artist himself.
In various ways, Cumulus is a reflection of Norbert and his contributions to the art scene – it’s a diverse collection of contemporary pieces, by international artists, which he collected over decades of travel exploring the world of art beyond our shores. It’s a ‘full circle’ moment, where his love for contemporary art, for collecting and for sharing it with the public converge, resulting in an exhibition that offers a glimpse into a half-century of artistic accumulation.
In this interview with Design Dispatch, Norbert explains that when he founded his eponymous Foundation and Valletta Contemporary, his primary goal was to give back to the artistic community in Malta.
“My hope was always to offer an independent platform to experience the contemporary arts, both local and international. This is a mission that I also carry within my collection. I have always felt that Malta lacks having a collection of contemporary art which is open to the public. I still feel that there are not enough, only a handful, of collectors who collect international contemporary art.”
Earlier this year, Norbert opened the doors to his private collection for the first time through a smaller exhibition dedicated to the work of the 20th century Hungarian-French artist Victor Vasarely. And, in 2019, works by Liam Gillick, Damien Hirst and Brian Eno, also part of the Norbert Francis Attard Foundation, featured in a show titled Post-Minimalism.
“In this exhibition however, for many of the artists, this is the first time their work is being shown in Malta, and it is an opportunity for the Maltese general public to enjoy their work. I enjoy curating shows from my collection, because it allows me to rediscover it,” he says.
“A lot of the work is archived and not something I view daily. In an exhibition I have the platform to view the work in a different context, to pair work together and to create dialogues that didn’t exist before. It also gives me great joy to watch other people view the work, to make contact with some of the great artists of our time.”
Cumulus brings together the diverse works of 29 internationally renowned artists, including Gilbert and George, Ai Weiwei, and Tracey Emin. Diversity is a key aspect of this exhibition, and of his entire collection, partly because they have been collected throughout several decades and also, because they reflect his varied interests.
“I consciously want to collect works from more established names but equally, I love work from unknown or emerging artists. The importance here is not in the name but in the quality of the work,” says Norbert. “I translate this sentiment when designing the annual exhibition program. I support and show emerging artists and I make sure that each year I include a few well-established names as well.”
His private collection includes works picked out from art fairs abroad, as well as directly from the studios of the artists on show. And, at times, the work has found him. “Through the Foundation’s work at Valletta Contemporary and our artist-in-residence programme Gozo Contemporary, many of the artists have gifted their work to the collection. They are excited to be part of a collection which will stay together, which will be studied and shown publicly for many years to come.”
Open to the public until 23rd November at Valletta Contemporary, Cumulus invites visitors to engage, debate and be intrigued by what’s on display. For Norbert, the goal is quite simple. “I hope to bring contemporary art a step closer to the Maltese public. Many people have not been afforded the same opportunities as I have, so through this show I want to break down the barriers of the international art scene.”
It has also opened doors for more exhibitions of this kind in the future that continue to expose prized pieces for the general public to enjoy. He anticipates the Foundation will have a show dedicated to the collection on an annual basis. The next one, which is set to take place in 2025 and will revolve around text-based art, will be curated by the collector together with Nikki Petroni.
“The archives are being formally established as I write this and there is scope to study the work which is part of the collection, my own personal archives which span seven decades and my own work.”
Photography courtesy of Valletta Contemporary
