The walls of the historic Castillo de la Mata have served as a canvas for the inaugural artistic collaboration between Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Malta. Maltese urban artists Jason Joe Farrugia and Cynthia Saliba have created two mural interventions as part of the joint effort by both cities' bids for the 2031 European Capital of Culture.
This initiative is part of the collaboration between LPGC2031 and Victoria-Gozo 2031, the sole Maltese candidacy progressing to the final stage for the 2031 title. The artistic residency, linked to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria's 'REBEL WALLS. Urban Stories' project, allowed the artists to engage with the island's cultural context.
The collaboration stems from recent meetings and an institutional visit in July by the mayor of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Carolina Darias, to Victoria. During the visit, she met with Mayor Brian Azzopardi and the Victoria 2031 team, agreeing to foster artistic exchanges and shared cultural projects between these two island territories facing similar challenges in connectivity, identity, heritage, and the relationship between land and culture.
Furthermore, the mayor of Victoria is expected to make an institutional visit to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in early September, continuing this dialogue.
Jason Joe Farrugia, a Maltese visual artist and educator, explores the relationship between humans and their living space in his mural, reflecting on the insular marine landscape surrounding Gran Canaria. Meanwhile, Cynthia Saliba, specializing in illustration and graphic narrative creation, presents a piece that delves into the necessary introspection artists undergo during their creative process.
