SCULPTURE
TOM VAN MALDEREN
Tom Van Malderen is an artist, architect, furniture and
exhibition designer, always looking to bridge the divide across mediums such as
sculpture, installation, furniture and architecture. It is regularly been said
that design is providing us with answers, whilst art is bringing up questions
in us. Working at the intersection between art and design, Tom invites us to
look at our questions and possible answers without preconceptions, and in doing
so, to shift our references around
and gear our world with new meanings.
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In the summer of last year, he produced a number of portrait
sculptures named SNOWFLAKES. The Snowflakes are personal portraits of the
surroundings of his home, viewed from his balcony in Valletta. They include
several elements like hand-cut paper snowflakes that are thrown in the street
by his neighbour for the annual festa, and rubble stones that are lingering
around as remnants of the many gentrification projects that are forever
changing his town. Tom presents his portrait or contact with the "world of
things” on an acrylic menu-holder that is slightly dispositioned, in order to
replicate the viewing experience from the balcony.
Portraits made from found or collected objects allow us to
look at our environment with renewed vision. We can unravel elements,
mechanisms and realities that are around us, often unconsciously; they can tell
us more about who we are and how we shape our identity. Now it is time for you
to explore and express your own personal and emotional contact with the
"world of things”!
Now it’s your turn!
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Here are the instructions:
1. Find or imagine a place that is close to your heart;
2. Gather a number of elements or objects that you associate
with this place;
3. Determine a way to present these objects in an unexpected
way;
4. Construct and try out several compositions and take pictures
5. Send us the one that you like the most and tell
us what it is or what it means to you.
Send us your creations
at contact@blitzvalletta.com. We will share them on our social media!
In the summer of last year, he produced a number of portrait sculptures named SNOWFLAKES. The Snowflakes are personal portraits of the surroundings of his home, viewed from his balcony in Valletta. They include several elements like hand-cut paper snowflakes that are thrown in the street by his neighbour for the annual festa, and rubble stones that are lingering around as remnants of the many gentrification projects that are forever changing his town. Tom presents his portrait or contact with the "world of things” on an acrylic menu-holder that is slightly dispositioned, in order to replicate the viewing experience from the balcony.
Portraits made from found or collected objects allow us to look at our environment with renewed vision. We can unravel elements, mechanisms and realities that are around us, often unconsciously; they can tell us more about who we are and how we shape our identity. Now it is time for you to explore and express your own personal and emotional contact with the "world of things”!
Now it’s your turn!
Here are the instructions:
1. Find or imagine a place that is close to your heart;
2. Gather a number of elements or objects that you associate with this place;
3. Determine a way to present these objects in an unexpected way;
4. Construct and try out several compositions and take pictures
5. Send us the one that you like the most and tell us what it is or what it means to you.