Reconstructed Balustrades

Reconstructed Balustrades explored the traditional built environment through an iconic architectural element, that of the stone baluster, which can be seen atop the traditional Maltese townhouse. The gradual transition to a simple metal railing in newer developments which replace such buildings renders the baluster as a relic of the past, an artefact in its own right. This installation presents a set of five found limestone balusters, all of which are eroded and fragmented, each displayed in individual wooden showcases and faced with another set of five showcases which display fragments from reproduced cement balusters. Through the various aspect of the work, ranging from the industrial materials used, the form of the baluster itself and the claustrophobic environment which the installation creates, the work comments on the present state of the changing streetscapes throughout the Maltese towns and villages.