‘Conflict, chaos and reality’ concludes with public installation

The interdisciplinary art project Conflict, Chaos and Reality by Alan Perez concluded this week with an open-air installation in front of the Fine Arts Gallery at Casemates, as part of the No Cuesta d’Enero programme organised by the Fine Arts Association.

The programme also saw artists Ambrose Avellano and Jaquima Rios deliver talks at the Fine Arts Gallery.

Mr Perez’s project began las November at the GEMA Gallery during the Kitchen Studios takeover, where an introductory presentation explored the theme of war and art and outlined the project’s aims.

From the outset it invited public participation and reflection on the realities of conflict and the role of art in fostering dialogue, peace and reconciliation.

In the first phase at GEMA Gallery, members of the public were invited to collaborate by having the silhouettes of their bodies drawn onto a large white sheet laid across the gallery floor.

“The response was overwhelming,” he said.

“As more participants took part, the silhouettes began to overlap, forming dense, abstract marks on the fabric. These layered impressions powerfully evoked the confusion, disorder and emotional weight associated with war zones.”

Part two of the project took place on December 22, 2025 at GEMA Gallery as a collaborative performance with The Movement Collective. Dancers choreographed a piece that responded to the drawn silhouettes, moving both on and beneath the sheets, while members of the public were again invited to take part.

Through movement, shape and expression, the performance transformed the static outlines into a live response to conflict, underlining the human presence behind the abstract imagery.

The final stage on January 20, 2026 moved outside the gallery space to an open-air setting at Casemates. The original sheet bearing the public’s silhouettes was installed in front of the Fine Arts Gallery, with video documentation of the earlier performance projected onto it.

“This public installation offered visibility beyond gallery walls, drawing in passers-by who stopped to observe, reflect and ask questions about the project,” said Mr Perez.
“The act of projecting the moving bodies back onto the drawn silhouettes created a powerful symbolic gesture, reinforcing an explicit anti-war message and emphasising art’s ability to communicate across boundaries.”

The initiative also brought together different local art collectives within a single collaborative framework, illustrating a shared stance of creative opposition to global conflicts.

“For attendees and members of the public, the final event served as a reminder of the role art and culture can play in uniting communities, prompting dialogue and encouraging collective reflection in times of uncertainty,” Mr Perez added.

“Conflict, Chaos and Reality stands as a compelling example of how art and culture can unite communities, provoke dialogue and foster collective reflection in times of uncertainty.”