Zieme by Austin Camilleri makes it to Krakow, Poland
Zieme, known as one of the most important works ever produced by a Maltese Artist is on tour and has made it to Poland. Following its original appearance in Malta in 2014 as main artwork for the Valletta International Visual Arts Festival (VIVA), Zieme, by leading Maltese artist Austin Camilleri, will now ornate one of the most prominent squares in the historical cultural city of Krakow in Poland.
Zieme, as a temporarily installed but permanent in nature, is considered to be one of the best Maltese artworks in the last decades. Without being explicit about its politics but rather working through the channels of aesthetics, it tackles notions of transience and myth.
After a hiatus imposed by the pandemic, Zieme resumes its tour and is installed in Plac Ducha – situated in the central heart of the Polish capital of culture – Krakow, from the second week of July and will remain in place until the end of September. This installation follows the sculpture’s last stop on the grounds of the Kalmar Konstmuseum in Sweden.
Back to its first appearance in 2014, ‘ Zieme’ sparked, in equal measure, outrage and admiration, as well as plenty of discussion about the role of art in Valletta, the sculpture’s purpose and its meaning.It gained the attention of several international press reports and inspired many art critics to write about its statement, placing and nature. On it’s removal from the capital city of Valletta, many have opposed to it’s removal.
The project has been initiated by the Ambassador of Malta to Poland, Dr. John Paul Grech – in collaboration with the Honorary Consul of Malta in Krakow, Dr. Agnieska Kaminska, was made possible through the generous support of Quick Turtle Sp. zo. o, Halmann Vella Ltd. and Citadel Insurance Ltd, Malta.
Known for his International successes and collaborations, Austin Camilleri works simultaneously in installation, painting, drawing, video and sculpture. He is also a curator and designed books, campaigns, awards as well as stage sets for operas, theatre and dance pieces.
His work has been exhibited at the Venice Biennale, the Mediterranean Biennale, Art Raker Biennale and the Biennale for Young Artists and in shows at the Visual Art Gallery in New Delhi, India; the Henderson Center in Beijing, China; at Centrale Electrique, Musee Botanique and Place Fontainas in Brussels, Belgium; the Museum of Contemporary Art, Cluj- Napoca, Romania; Apollonia in Strasbourg, Galerie GNG in Paris and Fondation Villa Datris in L’Isle sur la Sorgue, France; Palais Liechtenstein in Feldkirch, Austria; the Vatican Museum and in the Biennale degli Artisti Giovani, Ex-Mattatoio in Rome and at the Museo Archeologico complex, Lipari, Museo Civico in Nichelino, Biblioteca Universitaria, Torino, Biblioteca Nazionale in Rome and in Cosenza, Italy; in Villa Maser, Treviso; at the UN Building and SAI Gallery in New York, USA; St.James Palace in London, UK; WTC in Stockholm, Kalmar Museum in Sweden; the Palais des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland; at Inguat, Guatemala City, Guatemala; in Grote Kerk in the Hague, Holland; Chiesa Santa Chiara, Republic of San Marino; public work at the Garden of Nations in Ramallah, Palestine Territories; at Beith Shemesh, Jerusalem, Isreal; at Palais Kherredine in Tunis, Palais Abdelliya, La Marsa, Tunisia; at the Munchen Kunstelerhaus in Munich, Galerie Bagnato and Kulturzentrum in Konstanz, Germany; the National Museum of Fine Arts, Maritime Museum, Museum of Archeology and in Malta Contemporary Art Foundation. in Malta.
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