As part of maltabiennale.2024, OmenaArt Foundation will present its thematic pavilion at Fort St Elmo, titled “Other Geographies, Other Stories,” based on a curatorial concept by Hanna Wróblewska, curated by Natalia Bradbury. The exhibition will run from the 13th of March to the 31st of May 2024. The artists invited to the exhibition “Other Geographies, Other Stories” hail from diverse backgrounds, spanning various generations and nations. What unites them is a shared connection to Polish history or episodes that reverberate, to varying degrees, in their artistic endeavours. Within this thematic pavilion at maltabiennale.art, organised by the OmenaArt Foundation, Lia Dostlieva, Barbara Falender, Iza Jagiełło, Ida Karkoszka, and Aleksandra Karpowicz come together, employing the mediums of sculpture, photography, and installation, each embodying a unique understanding of activism.
The common thread that weaves through their work is the exploration of transformations, migrations, and the absence of a defined “home.” These themes serve as catalysts for profound inquiries into identity, nationality, and corporeality, pushing the boundaries of what it means to be a woman and an artist. Barbara Falender consciously crosses artistic boundaries, staging a revolt within the communist regime. Iza Jagiełło’s work delves into the abstract boundaries imposed by patriarchy, while Lia Dostlieva explores historical trauma. Aleksandra Karpowicz uses the body as the sole place of possible residence, while Ida Karkoszka investigates the possibility of mammal bodies providing sustenance irrespective of their place of residence. The exhibition’s narrative perfectly matches the character of the island – a place that has been a combination of different geographies and histories for thousands of years.
