Matthew Attard to Represent Malta at 60th Venice Biennale with Digital Ship Graffiti Project

Matthew Attard will represent Malta at the 60th Venice Biennale, running from 20 April to 24 November 2024, with his pavilion located in the Arsenale. His exhibition merges historical ship graffiti from Maltese wayside chapels, dating from the late fifteenth to eighteenth centuries, with contemporary drawing techniques and digital technology. Using an eye-tracking device, Attard creates drawings from his eye movement data to reinterpret these maritime images, originally drawn as ex-votos by anonymous individuals. The project explores themes of hope, fear, and human emotion while questioning blind faith in digital technology and AI processes. Attard, who lived in Venice for five years, describes the city as a second home that ignited his artistic career. He cites influences from artists encountered at Galleria Michela Rizzo in Venice, including Vito Acconci and Hamish Fulton. For understanding Malta, Attard recommends visiting the prehistoric temples at Ggantija in Gozo, walking through Valletta, and exploring Rabat and Mdina. He looks forward to seeing Adriano Pedrosa's exhibition 'Foreigners Everywhere' and visiting the Peggy Guggenheim Collection and Torcello island mosaics during the Biennale. Attard believes the Venice Biennale's global visibility enhances artists' reputations and promotes cross-cultural dialogue, with recent editions recognizing previously overlooked artists.