It is with great pleasure that I write this introduction to the fifth exhibition in the curated art4MCCF series.
The title of this year’s exhibition is The [In]Visible Self. In choosing self-portraiture as our theme, we hoped that the invited artists would go beyond depicting the physical features that make them immediately recognisable. Our wish was that they would dig deeper into themselves and project in their works those elements that are not evident to the eye but are hidden within their character and psyche. Having had the privilege of seeing some of the works to be exhibited, I can assure you that this has been achieved.
We are grateful to have been granted the use of the former Armoury Hall at the Grand Master’s Palace, a central venue that is easily reachable by the visiting public and offers ample space for the works to be viewed comfortably.
An innovative addition to this year’s exhibition is the inclusion of self-portraits by departed artists who left their mark on the local art scene in the 20th century. These include works by Robert Caruana Dingli, Carmelo Mangion, Antoine Camilleri, Emvin Cremona and Isabelle Borg, amongst others. It would be remiss of me not to thank the lenders of these precious works of art, which I am sure will greatly enrich the exhibition.
This exhibition has now become an important and integral part of Malta’s annual cultural calendar. Its aim, however, is not just artistic, as it also forms part of the Malta Community Chest Fund’s mission to raise funds. Over the past four years, we have managed to collect around €100,000 through the exhibition. For this, I would like to thank the artists for their donations, the buyers for their support, and my committee, in particular the curator, for all their efforts.
Lawrence Pavia
Chairman, Art4Mccf Organising Committee
The exhibition, featuring works by over 45 artists, explores two fundamental ways in which artists represent their own identity: through direct depiction and through the traces that define a life.
Traditionally, the self-portrait has been understood as the artist’s confrontation with their own image. From painted likenesses to photographic reflections, the face and body have long served as the primary means through which artists examine their presence, psychology, and place in the world.
Yet the visible self is not the whole of the self. The self is also identified, construed, and shown by the objects, materials, and fragments that accompany a life. Personal belongings, tools, archives, clothing, letters, and accumulated artefacts can function as intimate stand-ins for the artist, revealing aspects of identity that a likeness alone cannot convey. In such works, the self is encountered indirectly, emerging through traces rather than direct representation.
Bringing together traditional self-portraits and works that articulate identity through objects and personal materials, The [In]Visible Self expands the boundaries of self-portraiture. The exhibition invites viewers to consider how identity may be seen, suggested, or remembered, and questions whether the essence of a person lies in the image they present or in the things that quietly bear witness to their existence.
Melanie Erixon
Curator, Art4Mccf 2025
Melanie Erixon is a Malta-based curator and cultural professional with a background in art history, museum and heritage management, and cultural project coordination. She holds a BA (Hons) in History of Art from the University of Malta and an MA in Museum & Heritage Management from Newcastle University, alongside further professional training at Sotheby’s Institute of Art.
Her curatorial career spans independent, institutional, and large-scale cultural projects. She is the founder of Art Sweven, an online gallery and curatorial platform, and resident curator at il-Kamra ta’ Fuq in Mqabba, where she develops a programme of monthly exhibitions. She has also curated exhibitions at venues including Spazju Kreattiv and MUŻA, as well as projects in Sicily.
Her previous experience includes coordinating the Strada Stretta Concept under the Valletta 2018 Foundation, where she oversaw approximately 90 cultural events across multiple disciplines, and working on the Mdina Cathedral Contemporary Art Biennale. In 2025, she joined the Malta Biennale 2026 team as Executive Coordinator, overseeing the logistical delivery of major exhibition projects and working closely with artists, curators, installers, and cultural professionals from Malta and abroad.
Following the conclusion of the 2026 Biennale, Erixon was appointed Director of Operations at the Fondazzjoni għall-Malta Biennale in August 2026. Alongside her curatorial practice, she has served on the Art4MCCF committee for four years and regularly contributes exhibition reviews to local newspapers.