MDINA CONTEMPORARY ART BIENNALE
Mdina, Malta
(around Mdina’s historic St. Paul’s Cathedral)
14 November 2015 – 7 January 2016
CARAVAN is strategically partnering with the Mdina Contemporary Art Biennale in Malta for its Public Art and Music “East-West” initiatives
THE MALTESE PEACE DONKEY
An East-West Artistic Peace-building Initiative of the Mediterrean Basin
The Maltese Peace Donkey Project is a strategic public arts initiative that uses the symbol of the Maltese donkey to communicate the critical importance of building harmony between the Middle East and West. A strategic gathering of premier Mediterranean artists, it is believed that this unique public arts initiative will speak powerfully to today’s need of creating respect, developing understanding and encouraging friendship between the Middle East and West.
The Mediterranean region, unlike any other in the world, with its 21 countries, represents both historically and contemporarily an intercultural bridge between the East and West. Within this region, the country of Malta is a symbolic and historic icon of East-West interaction, both culturally and religiously.
The East-West nature of Malta is nowhere more clearly represented than in the ancient city of Mdina, which owes its present primary architecture to the Arab period, from 870 until the Normans conquered Malta in 1091. Today the city displays an unusual mix of Arab, Norman and Baroque architecture.
In the heart of the city stands the magnificent St. Paul’s Cathedral. This impressive cathedral is the host of the Mdina Contemporary Art Biennale scheduled between 14 November 2015 and 7 January 2016. Dozens of premier contemporary artists from around the Mediterranean will participate in this significant art initiative under the theme of “The Other”.
In the context of the Mdina Contemporary Art Biennale, CARAVAN is organizing a strategic public art project entitled The Maltese Peace Donkey Project, which will be a unique gathering of renowned Mediterranean artists (Middle Eastern and Western) coming together to artistically express the importance of intercultural dialogue between the East and West..
Strategically using the famous and rare Maltese donkey as an East-West bridging symbol, 21 life-sized fiberglass “Maltese” donkeys will be produced and donkey will be painted/decorated by 21 noted and emerging Maltese and Mediterranean artists to represent the East-West nature of the Mediterranean: one for each of the 21 Mediterranean nations. They donkeys will be displayed at public venues throughout the ancient city of Mdina for the Biennale. Following the Biennale, a donkey will be given to each
Mediterranean country to be used as a pubic symbol of the “peace and compassion” that is needed to build bridges between the East and West. This initiative has a significant educational component to it that focuses on engendering understanding and respect for the “other” while also encouraging awareness of the need for intercultural harmony and peace. For a detailed Overview see The Maltese Peace Donkey.
