My essentials: Ruth Bianco’s cultural picks

About  

UK-trained contemporary fine artist working across interdisciplinary, research-led practice.  Actively engaged in independent art projects and international collaborations, with exhibitions locally and internationally. As professor of art at the University of Malta, I initiated the Art in Architecture programme. I fuse architectural space into my studio-based work, and have held senior leadership roles in museum development, curation, culture, research, and education.

Museum/Book

A good museum is like a walk-through book—it offers cultural catharsis, leaving you transformed and informed. Such was my recent visit to Africa-Museum in Tervuren Park, Belgium. Once a colonial trophy mausoleum built under Leopold II, it now presents a powerful recontextualization of history, artefacts, and space. Light penetrates a contemporary glass structure within the old, marble palace. It left me reflecting on our tumultuous world order and whether art can redeem humanity’s past.

Film 

All the Light We Cannot See is fictional yet grounded in the realities of World War II, adapted by Shawn Levy from Anthony Doerr’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. Lead actor Aria Mia Loberti is blind in real life. To me, the film is an artistic paradox. It renders emotional force in heightened perception—sightedness through blindness—embodied in both Marie-Laure’s inner heroism and Loberti’s performance. It struck raw and being an artist is demanding; being a sightless artist would seem doubly so.

Internet and TV 

I turn to the internet and social media to keep abreast of world affairs and headlines. I’m an avid listener of podcasts—investigative journalism, interviews, history, culture, science—all of which feed my artistic drive. I keep the BBC running. Nowadays, social networks are indispensable for navigating the art world. Today, the visual world is explosive. Every museum, gallery, and artist, has a virtual presence we can access making artists more independent and less tied to institutional agendas.

Music 

My playlist shifts with time and mood, so, it can range from Zen flute to contemporary classics such as Philip Glass, Erik Satii or Yann Tiersen. Lately, come evening, I lean towards a jazzy ’n loungey playlist and love the sultry sounds of Melody Gardot. I’ve also recently discovered Karen Souza’s covers album—a remix of familiar old-timers in velvety, whisper-to-the-mic vocals. It is perfect listening while cooking, dining, or simply chilling.

Place 

Vietnam–a soulful long-haul. In Asia, I feel I’ve entered a time warp. The vegetation, air, sounds, and culture feel worlds apart from the Mediterranean that shaped me. I was overwhelmed by the road culture—thousands of motorbikes flood pavements in Hanoi. A nation marked by its post-war history; Vietnam has woven this into its touristic narrative. It is a fascinating country with deeply charming people. I still recall incense drifting from Buddhist temples, mingling with street food and markets.