11. The Maltese Festival (Part-Three)

This is our third and final post on the street-art festival in Sliema, Malta. 

One of the goals of the festival was to elevate the profile of art created on non-traditional outdoor surfaces, like trucks, vans, phone booths, benches etc. We were a bit skeptical at first about the notion of art on vehicles. First, because it's not exactly a new idea - people have been painting vans since the first flower-child drew a petal on a VW in the 1960s. So what could be different today? And second, because metal can be a difficult surface on which to paint.

We were turned into believers, though, by the 3D murals of Bali-born, now Greek resident, WD (aka Wild Drawing):

 

 

Also "driving" home the point were Wesone:

Katka:

And Valencia's own Felipe Pantone:

 

Other objects to receive the street-art treatment included telephone booths by Sofles:

and Denmark's Claus Frederiksen:

 

This garbage can by an artist we've yet to identify:

And even the Sliema rock wall, which survived the Germans in World War II, was easily captured by the yarn-bombing Julia Riordan:

 

 

For this year's activities, July 24-26 2015, the Sliema festival will evolve into the Malta street art festival, relocating to the island's historic capital of Valleta. Let's hope that the art and artists are at least as good as they were in the first two years. They really rose to the challenge and delivered their best.

 

But let's also add a giant wish that the organizers can move their way up from the bush leagues to the big leagues. Would it really be that difficult to issue a schedule showing what's happening, when and where. Or to put up signs and maps pointing the way to the action areas for non-islanders. Most importantly, if the majority of painting takes place miles away from the city and not where it's supposed to be, could they maybe, oh..TELL PEOPLE ABOUT IT SO THEY DON'T MISS MOST OF THE BEST ART? We can only hope.