The Valletta Cultural Agency is proud to present Transcending the Material – Anthony Spagnol Retrospective, an exhibition celebrating over three decades of artistic exploration by one of Malta’s foremost contemporary artists.
Curated by Jessica Muscat, this retrospective is open from the Tuesday 3rd December 2024 – 8th January 2025, at The Grandmaster’s Palace. It delves into Spagnol’s evolution from figurative to abstract art, showcasing his unique ability to bridge the material and spiritual realms.
Valletta Cultural Agency CEO Catherine Tabone highlighted, “Anthony Spagnol’s ‘retrospective’ enables the viewer to come into contact with both the unspoken and the unspeakable, cultivating a historical awareness that not only makes the past contemporary, but also authenticates and enriches man’s relationship with both worlds”.
Curator Jessica Muscat said that “Spagnol’s journey from realism to abstraction is not merely a stylistic evolution but a profound awakening—a transcendence of the material into the spiritual. Through his mastery of form and colour, Spagnol invites us to engage with the unseen, forging a dialogue between art, existence, and the metaphysical.”
Spagnol’s work reflects a journey of introspection and innovation, drawing inspiration from Malta’s postmodernist art movements and his career as a conservator. Early works like The New Power Station (1992) and Wires in Mikiel Anton Vassalli Street (1993) tackle environmental and societal concerns through poignant figurative imagery. In contrast, his later abstract works, including Transubstantiation (2005) and The Stations of the Cross (2011–2013), invite viewers into meditative spaces that evoke the intangible essence of spirituality.
Highlights of the exhibition include works inspired by Spagnol’s engagement with literature, music, and his deep reflections on faith and mortality. The retrospective underscores his significant contributions to Maltese art and his ongoing dialogue with universal themes of existence, transformation, and spirituality.
Transcending the Material is open daily from the 3rd of December 2024 to the 8th of January 2025 at the Grandmaster’s Palace, Valletta from 9am – 5pm. Free entrance from Merchants Street.
For further details, visit the Valletta Cultural Agency website and its Facebook page.
