Sheldon Saliba (b.2000) is a multidisciplinary visual artist based in Malta, with an interest in socio-environmental issues. Currently, his practice explores landscapes in constant flux in both rural and urban environments, investigating aspects related to the post-/Anthropocene including extraction, teritorialisation and identifying alternative ways of living. His work uncovers the multiplicity of land use and investigates the dichotomy of human-made and natural materials. He is currently reading for an MA in Fine Arts within the Department of Art and Art History at the University of Malta.
Areas of interest: Anthropocene, ecology and ways of living
Why are you a part of Magic Carpets: To be immersed in different landscapes (urban & rural) and the life that inhabits these spaces (human & non-human).
Magic Carpets project
Past projects
Fragmented Relics
Type: Solo show
Fragmented Relics is a solo exhibition by emerging artist Sheldon Saliba which explores the intricate intersections among the human-made, natural forces and the ceaseless passage of time. The point of departure for Fragmented Relics lies at the core of Anthropocentrism, whereby the artist questions and challenges elements related to de/composition, materiality and syntheticism. Influenced by the local context and geographies and their impact on discarded items, the status of found objects is elevated, transforming them into relics as imprints of the passage of time.
Each piece serves as a chronicle of human-kind’s exploration into synthetic materials, driven by innovation and industry and sustained by capitalist-driven movements, yet ultimately transformed by natural occurrences. The objects themselves and the intermediary space created by their overlapping establish coexistent dialogue between the natural and the human-made and their resulting fragile and intricate relationships. The works explore cyclical rhythms based on ongoing generation and decomposition; the sea, as an always present coherent force, acting as an author and neutraliser. In parallel, the sea is also equally evident of the island/ers nature of resilience and adaptability.
What inspires you as an artist? The spaces that I inhabit and the objects that I surround myself with.
What do you think is the purpose of art? To explore and reimagine.
Contacts
Email: studio[et]sheldonsaliba.com | Instagram | Instagram (works)