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Marilyn Hodgson – an award-winning sculptress and poetess born in Edinburgh, and now living in Malta, has held diverse exhibitions of photography, art and drawings both locally and overseas, and simply enjoys “opening doors” for local artists. It was mainly thanks to her contacts and enthusiastic efforts, that the Maltese folk band “ETNIKA” were invited to perform at the Montreux Jazz Festival 2004, in Switzerland. Here she meets and talks to local poetess Erika Brincat about her various projects.
 Before leaving Scotland to settle in Geneva, where she became a resident together with her husband Robin for almost twenty-seven years, Marilyn won the Helen Ottilie Wallace Award Fund Prize accorded by the Royal Scottish Academy for the most promising work by a Scottish sculptor. She has also won several photographic competitions having shown works at the Musee d’Histoire Naturelle in Fribourg, the Maison du Bout de Monde in Geneva and a number of other prestigious locations. An exhibition of photographs, drawings and sculpture at the new Motorola building in Geneva entitled: “Arizona Dreams and Other Themes” was also a great success, followed by an exhibition held at the restaurant-jazz club of Baton Rouge in Geneva, “A touch of Blues at the Baton Rouge” which featured 52 photographs.
She also won a prize for her photography in a competition organized by the London Evening Standard and received an Editors Prize prompting a trip to Washington DC in 2000 as a guest of the International Library of Poets and nominee for the Poet of the Year award. Since moving to Malta three years ago, she has participated in an exhibition at the Pergola Club Hotel in Mellieha, shown photographs at Trabuxu Bar in Valletta, and has an ongoing photographic exhibition at the Corinthia Atheneum’s Spa in Attard. What can you tell me about your current exhibition and the particular combination of elements you have presented? “The photographs and drawings on show titled “Poetry, Energy and the Elements” whether water, air, earth or fire are about perception, energy, dreams and desires. The crystallizing of emotions, these photographs capture rare moments from Arizona to Geneva, Sicily to Scotland. Following soon, there will be a new atmospheric exhibition featuring textures, shapes, forms, sky and seascapes of Malta. They again capture a certain light, a vibrancy, and a resonance which I believe will add positively to the feeling of relaxation and well-being so carefully cultivated in the spa already.”
It was mainly thanks to her efforts, that the Maltese folk band “ETNIKA” were invited to perform at the Montreux Jazz Festival 2004, in Switzerland, a recognized center for European Jazz, and World Music.
“My daughter Wendy was so enthusiastic about ETNIKA’s performance, sounds and “joie de vivre” that I was persuaded to go see them for myself at the Verdala Palace open summer concert in 2003. I spoke to the band on the spot about the opportunity to visit Switzerland where I already had contacts in Montreux. It was a pleasure to make their introduction to the organizers, (music-pack in hand) and we were all delighted with their subsequent two concert engagements.”
Since then, she has been approached by a number of other Maltese jazz musicians to promote their music abroad, and in September 2005 she successfully introduced the Dominic Galea Jazz Trio to the Paradise Jazz Festival in Cyprus, through the organizer, a Cypriot friend of hers, Socratis. The trio made up of Dominic Galea on piano, Mario Aquilina on bass and Noel Grech on drums, formed in 2001, gave a formidable performance at the 6th edition of the Festival held between the 16-18 September 2005, and were joined during their second session by the well-known musician Walter Vella on saxophone and flute. Marilyn, who was instrumental in taking the band to Cyprus also featured during the concert by reading one of her poems.
I first met her, just as a door had been literally closed before us, during an exhibition organized together with the artist Francis Xavier Aloisio at the Valletta Waterfront, when a few of the neighbouring artists decided to divide the two halls with a large wooden board, a demarcation clearly signaling a somewhat non-inclusive attitude. Despite the fact they had every right to exclusivity, we found their attitude a bit disappointing. Then, rather symbolically, Marilyn Hodgson arrived who coincidentally wrote in our visitor’s book that she enjoys “opening doors”, and has since offered her services and support to collaborate in the creation of a new exhibition to be held within the coming months. Perfect timing!
Marilyn has committed to her project of promoting local artists, which she has aptly called “Into Affinity Productions”, and which aims to connect people in the art and music worlds, and provide local artists, both established and upcoming, with suitable contacts overseas, as well as continued cultural exchanges between Malta, Switzerland and the UK. She has also been collaborating with the Corinthia’s General Manager Nicky Borg on a number of diverse art and musical events. As part of the Great Escapes Festival’s opening activities for example, she started off the evening with poetry recitals of her own work along with her friends Anna Pullicino, Claudia Fiorini, and Geraldine Ford, and a number of other artists were invited to exhibit their work upon her suggestion. And as part of her innovative cultural exchange project between Switzerland and Malta, the Corinthia was able to host top Brazilian guitarist Jose Barrense-Dias who is a regular at the Montreux Jazz festival, and who entertained guests during a Brazilian night held on the picturesque pool deck. Barrense-Dias is said to have fallen in love with Malta, calling it the island of his dreams and hoping to return once more.
Yet another event inspired and coordinated by this lovely Scottish lady was the Robert Burn’s Supper, a tribute to the life, works and spirit of the great Scottish poet, traditionally held worldwide on the 25th of January to celebrate his birthday. The event commenced with bagpipe music by a Scottish piper, (whom I coincidentally get to hear as my wake up call every morning!) followed by a Maltese piper and other well-known musicians and singers. We can look forward to another similar celebration of Scottish poetry, music, and delicious food next January 2006.
One could easily say without exaggeration that Marilyn is simply overflowing with energy! Her motto in life: “Less thunder in the mouth, more lightning in the hand.”
You may contact her for participation in any forthcoming exhibitions, events or cultural exchanges on marilyn@intoaffinity.com
Marilyn Hodgson was talking to Erika Brincat
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