Public Art Commission for Pjazza Teatru Rjal, Valletta, Malta, curated by Norbert Attard
Timber, steel, Perspex, mirror, neon, paint
72cm x 72cm x 285cm each
April-May 2015

I Saw A Light is the temporary reactivation of four lamps that originally decorated the entrance of the old Opera House. The sculptural reconstruction of these lamps resonates a number of facets:

Electricity: The reconstruction commemorates the introduction of electric lighting for the very first time in Malta at this very Opera House. It recalls the long-forgotten marvel it brought along.

Nostalgia: The four lamps are contemporary replicas and a playful reflection on our growing thirst for nostalgia-provoking elements and historicisms in general.

The blurring boundary between culture and entertainment: Did the invention of electricity facilitate this continuous blurring? Have places like the Old and New Opera house been contributing to the age of entertainment? And within this context, what is exactly the role of public art commissions?