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‘Malta Through the Ages’ is a three-dimensional Exhibition of Art, Poetry and Prose currently ongoing at the Valetta Waterfront.
 Part I is now showing throughout September and is based on 7,000 years of History, Culture and Traditions, whilst Part II to be displayed throughout October is all about our heritage during Pre-History and is aptly entitled ‘The Land of Sacred Sites’. The main artist behind this collaboration is Francis Xavier Aloisio.
Erika Brincat, who has also been involved in developing the project, asks him about his life, how the exhibition came about and what keeps him so young at heart. The other members of ‘Art Together’ are the historical researcher and writer Joseph S. Abela, and the poet/muse Grazziella Buttigieg.
Tell us about the early days, and your time spent as a missionary of St. Paul’s in Peru. What did the people of Peru teach you?
Just after a few months of my ordination I was supposed to go to Brazil but at the last minute I was sent to Lima. There went the use of my knowledge of Portuguese, and I had no time to learn Spanish! Nothing could have prepared me for the realities of South America - the poverty, the food, the culture and extremities of down to earth living. What it brought home to me is the distance between the theological studies and the every day living of these people. Their main concern was the next bowl of rice for their kids. All the philosophy and theology I had learnt were not applicable at all to the reality of Peru.
During this time there was in vogue the Theology of Liberation by Gustav Gertierrez that in a nutshell was applying the teachings of Christ to the reality of S. America, through the liberation of the masses from social injustices. S. America was rife with social injustices from all aspects, be it the government or the church.
During the McCarthy period there was persecution against anyone who had a social inclination and they were considered and labeled as communists. This was the time of Che Guevera, and Allende - it was in 1972. In the North you had Bob Dillon’s protest songs, and in South America you had beautiful justice songs. So many people were working for many hours and receiving 20 p. Then there was the visit of the Pope and a meeting of all the Catholic Churches of South America in Medellin a city in Columbia. He said: “Roma locuta est causa finites est’, basically ‘What the Pope says goes!’. He missed the chance of people’s enthusiasm and expansion. At the time I started to question my role there. I didn’t have to save the people from anything. On the contrary I was learning a lot from their spiritually rich culture. They didn’t have plates, fridges, or cars but they had companionship, giving and taking so there was richness.
Besides there were a majority of the priests who had gay or female friends – everybody! It was practically accepted and I could have gone for this easy better life, everything is provided for you - food, pension as well as companions! But I couldn’t do this. If I am going to preach I want to tell the truth! So after much soul searching I took leave and returned to Malta. The Church was severed from what the people of South America actually did need, so I didn’t want to be part of this.
Did you find any similarities between the Inca Culture and our own?
That’s a difficult question! I would say they are totally different! The Inca culture is very rich and up to today the people haven’t lost it. While we have diluted ours. I admire the people and respect the culture and in its simplicity it has an incredible spiritual value. According to them the sole god, the Sun spreads its light on each individual.
This sounds like the Egyptian Solar Culture of Ra
In fact the boats built of reeds by the Incas are exactly the same as the Egyptian’s boats. Their pyramids were built as steps to heaven.
If one was building a hut, on a particular Sunday all the mothers of the village would come and cook for you, all the fathers come to help and the children bring stones and water. This is community living, sharing each other’s energy. So that is richness or poverty? Whatever you would like to call it!
After that you went on to live in England as well as San Francisco.
How did these experiences shape you and catapult your interest in Art, Complementary Therapies, and Healing?
The first years after I left the priesthood, were years struggling to find my self. I entered the church at 13 and left when I was 31 so I was suddenly out in the world and I moved to London to find a job, and then eventually worked in Brighton, which I loved. I arrived there with simply 80 pounds so those first years I was trying to come to terms with the change and establish myself through university courses etc. and this is when I studied Art. At a point I made enough money and saw enough things and stopped to see what I really wanted to do and decided to spend a year doing nothing except what I wanted to do. So I did French and a Painting Course. By then I was 45.
One of my teachers used to tell me “You come from Malta and you have been to South America, and you are painting in English grey colours! Try to find your real colour scheme.” Then a photo fell out and I decided to use it to start a South American collection of art and cards.
Malta gave me my birth. Peru was the place of my spiritual birth. They have medicine men and herbalists, which at first I was skeptic about and thought of them as superstitious and bad, when in fact I started to realize that maybe we were wrong and they were true healers.
Then in England I had to relearn everything but it’s a country where you can find your self easily because it gives you the liberty to be, there is no-one to tell you where to look and how to be! That was liberating. And England gave me financial sustenance and the chance to study. I was also the CEO of a big charity so I am grateful for those experiences. In Brighton and Sussex the alternative scene was rampant and I started to realize that my migraines where caused by a suppression of energy. Six hours of migraines and I finally tried acupuncture and it saved me. I also tried homeopathy and started courses and read books, and met people. And then I developed an interest in Alice Bailey’s work and went to California, Denver and then Canada. I did the whole spectrum: massage courses, aromatherapy courses, and colour therapy, before they had taken off over here. California is a bit too commercial but in Canada the alternative scene is more refined.
What made you decide to create an exhibition promoting the rich and unique history of your own native culture?
I spent 31 years away from Malta. I saw the Inca culture, the Mayan culture, in the UK – Stonehenge, in Canada - the Indian culture. The more I saw the more I started to appreciate the culture and history of Malta especially the prehistoric culture. So I wanted to actually put into one collection our whole history from pre-history up to contemporary history in a form visually attractive for local people, tourists and visitors.
How did you form the collaborative of artists ‘Art Together’, and did everything fall into place effortlessly?
Nothing is effortless in Malta you should know that! (He laughs) Yet the synchronicity of meeting the right people at the right time like I met you coincidentally and you were able to write poems attuned to each of my paintings, that happens thanks to Spirit – God if you like! But the physical aspect is human and not at all effortless, a lot of hard work, running from one department to the next to try to promote the project and make it manifest. Joseph Abela who wrote the prose, luckily happens to be a close relative!
Who else has helped you in the creation of this event?
Natasa Pantovic for support and organization. She is very methodological and sharp and when it comes to these things someone like her is a blessing! I also thank my nephew Franco Aloisio for his help and all those people both locals and foreigners who gave me the encouragement to do these things, as well as the framer and Joshua Giordomaina Business Development Executive at VISET who helped as best as he could in between his busy schedule.
Any further plans and do you intend exhibiting your work overseas?
We plan to create a booklet with full colour paintings to put these two themes together in the form of Art, Poetry and Prose, and we need sponsors for this. The idea is also to house the exhibition somewhere permanently, and hopefully to take it around embassies in Europe as a form of Cultural Diplomacy.
Can we look forward to any new paintings soon and what other themes help to keep your inspiration alive?
One of the themes is the sea, and what connects with the sea - the boats. Now I have a set of 60 paintings I will try to exhibit them shortly. The location is still unknown. We shall see what happens next!
Erika Brincat was talking to Francis Xavier Aloisio
Valletta Waterfront. Vault XV. Months of September/October
Opening Hours: Weekdays: Tuesdays/Wednesdays/Fridays: 8.30 - 10p.m. Weekends: Saturdays & Sundays: 5-10pm
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