COASTAL COMMONS
“A gentle invitation directed towards the public to reimagine their relationship with the existing coastal area”
Positioned in the South-Eastern region of Malta, Coastal Commons sits on a rocky shoreline in the seaside town of Birżebbuġa. The 10-day residency, and resulting intervention, was as curator Elyse Tonna describes, ‘developed around three main pillars: the commons as a conceptual framework, the site as a lived archive of memories and experiences, and marine waste as a material’. Ultimately, it seeks to challenge contemporary notions of common space.
Following the forceful commercialisation of the public arena in recent years, the commons in its very conception has been at the fore of critical discourse. Campaigns have tackled vast areas of our archipelago from the shoreline to the inner cores of our urban hubs.
Il-Bankini taċ-Ċittadini!, led by pressure-group Moviment Graffitti, has spread across the Maltese islands in areas like Valletta and Rabat, Gozo to unpack the infringement of restaurants on public space, public peace and public safety. While direct actions surrounding the lack of free access to the shoreline in places like Comino’s Blue Lagoon or Manoel Island has led to reopening of areas, or a slight reduction in deckchairs.
Coastal Commons instead, is a gentle invitation directed towards the public to reimagine their relationship with the existing coastal area. To find new ways to play, pause and convene within the space. The curatorial text invites the community to engage with the modular system, using it as,
A seat to rest. A step to reach.
A table to gather. A rest for your legs.
A weight to hold. A workbench to make and paint.
A box with a game. A structure to share.
Use them how you need.
Move them, stack them, play.
The intervention was the result of a 10-day residency curated by Elyse Tonna, featuring local artist Sheldon Saliba and French artist Joachim Romain, sent by Déchets d’Arts. The trio worked hand-in-hand to create the final piece, and the playful invitation was launched during a residency closing, which invited artist Charlene Galea to activate the work during a short performance piece.
The intervention was imagined—quite intentionally—as a mainstay on the site where it remains stationed to date. A site that was selected following a series of ancillary events and workshops designed to collect feedback from the community, and collect material for the installation. Marine waste, including disused fishing nets and jerry cans, was repurposed to build this open storage structure and were collected during a clean-up held in collaboration with Żibel in June.
Birżebbuġa Local Council’s were close collaborators on the project. In fact, mayor, Scott Camilleri, noted the council’s shock at the amount of waste collected during the clean-up, and that the residency drew attention to the need for environmental protection.
Although I remain armed with a healthy skepticism, it is my firm belief that artistic practice can act as a voice to amplify messages and become a driver for change. In our contemporary society, artists and creative practitioners still play an integral role in the ever-expanding ecosystem of activism.
Coastal Commons, produced by Unfinished Art Space, sits within the broader project titled OTRart being led by Routes of the Olive Tree, which engages with environmental sustainability through artistic discourse. Seven partners from six European countries – Greece, France, Spain, Italy, Croatia and Malta – are collaborating to engage with more environmentally conscious creative methodologies, and craft a different narrative for our planet’s future. More information here: https://www.unfinishedartspace.org/projects/otrart
The work can be found on Triq Ghar-Dalam in the Maltese town of Birżebbuġa, here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/GyqRMTKEqmJEUHNH8
OTRart is co-funded by the European Union’s Creative Europe Programme, and in Malta is co-financed by NGO Co-Financing Fund managed by the Malta Council for the Voluntary Sector supported by the Ministry for Inclusion and the Voluntary Sector.
