A ‘wonderful’ window into youthful creativity

As he walked through the GEMA Gallery in Montagu Bastion on Tuesday, the Governor confessed to being intrigued, delighted, confused and at times even scared by some of the art on show.

The exhibition by Kitchen Studios, Sir David Steel told the Chronicle, opened a creative door into how young people see the world. It was, he added, a “wonderful” experience.

Sir David visited the exhibition in the company of the Minister for Culture, Dr John Cortes.

Also waiting to greet the Governor were Seamus Byrne from Gibraltar Cultural Services, Shane Dalmedo and exhibitors Zoe Bishop, Naomi Duarte, Alan Perez and Stefano Blanca Sciacaluga.

“I think it is incredible because I think that it is revealing people’s imagination and I have no imagination in artistic terms and to go through and have the exhibition explained was wonderful,” said the Governor on the piece by Alan Perez.

“This one here with the immigrants crossing the Mediterranean, the rope taking them across the sea, coming in, climbing the fences and then some of them are going to end up persecuted in chains and slavery and I would not have got that unless it was explained to me. But it is beautiful.”

On Ermelinda Duarte’s work with the crisp packets, Sir David

said it has a lot of meaning to it and what he liked about it was that young people could exercise their imagination and reveal what they think about today’s world.

“I hope a lot of people come look at this, I really do,” he said.

On her installation on Covid, he said it “frightened him”.

“We have all seen so much suffering over the last year and this with the protein spikes is obviously the symbol of Covid and you see the symbol of Covid either in cartoon form or you see in this sort of form and I just want to see the back of it. So to actually see it in my face like this as a piece of art is almost scary. I just want to see the back of it,” he said.

“I think it is a great creation. But, I suppose in art I like to see something I understand and I don’t understand why Covid is still here and what it has done to us.”

“It has just split us apart, but it is a statement of life and everything here is a statement of live in its own form,” he added.

Dr Cortes expressed how pleased he was to take the Governor around the exhibition and noted that he has taken a great interest in culture in Gibraltar since he arrived on the Rock last year.

“Therefore we make it a point to show him around and to share thoughts and to listen to his thoughts which are always very supportive and very constructive,” said Dr Cortes.

“It is something he obviously greatly appreciates and I encourage that.”

“You know how I feel about culture being at the heart of the community and this exhibition, so varied, so deep yet enjoyable at the same time and we want to share it.”

The exhibition is open Monday to Friday 11am to 3pm with late opening on both Tuesday and Thursday until 6pm.