Vince Briffa

MY WORK

My work centres on the co-existence of dualities. It treads blurred borders and investigates uncertain divides between opposing poles. It synthesises extremities and acts as a seam that binds together disparate realities. 

Uncertain of its own actuality, it questions its own being.

I am not a painter or sculptor, I am also not a filmmaker or a writer.

I produce 'work'. 

It is my vocabulary. It is the vehicle that best embodies my thoughts and connects all my creative output.

AWARDS: 2019 ‘Omaggio all’Arte ed all’Innovazione a Venezia 2019’ by The Union of Honorary Consuls of Italy (UCOI) and the National Association of Young Innovators (ANGI) - Venice Biennale, 2019 - Arts Council Malta.

1958 Born in Malta. Lives and works in Malta. 2000 Graduated in MA Fine Arts with distinction (Leeds University, UK) and 2009 PhD, University of Preston UK. 2011 to 2021 - Head of Department of Digital Arts, University of Malta. 2015 Associate Professorship, University of Malta.

AFFILIATIONS: 2019 International Associate - CUT Contemporary Fine Arts Lab, Cyprus. 2017 Fellow of the Civitella Ranieri Foundation. 2016 co-founder of ISTRA Foundation for Arts and Research, Malta. 2002 founding member of stART - a group of Maltese contemporary artists.

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS, PROJECTS AND PUBLIC COMMISSIONS: 1999 Hermes - 48th Venice Art Biennale - Malta Pavilion, Le Tese dell’Arsenale, Venice, Italy; 2000 Hermes - St. James Cavalier Centre for Creativity, Valletta, Malta; 2001 Three Pieces - The outer building, Museum of Modern Art, Vaduz, Liechtenstein; 2002 Amen - Nemmen - The “Johanniterkirche”, Feldkirch, Austria; 2002 Hermes - The Sacristy, “Johanniterkirche”, Feldkirch, Austria; 2002 Nixtieq… - Attard Historic Centre, Malta; 2003 Immigrant - Only Atelier, Vienna, Austria / 2004 Queen Street Gallery, Belfast, N. Ireland / Villa Manin Centre of Contemporary Art, Udine, Italy; 2004 Body Works - Pierides Museum of Contemporary Art, Nicosia, Cyprus; 2005 MOYA, Vienna, Austria; 2005 re:public - The Vision Centre, Cork, Ireland; 2006/7 Selfportrait - A Show for Bethlehem - Show for Peace - Casoria Contemporary Art Museum, Naples, Italy and MAC - Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Santa Fe, Argentina; 2006 Hermes - Galerie der Schwarze Punkt, Konstanz, Germany; 2006 Body of Glass – After Caravaggio - The “Johanniterkirche”, Feldkirch, Austria; 2007 Playing God - The Preston Minster, Preston, England; 2007 Body of Glass – After Caravaggio - Auberge d’Italie, Valletta, Malta; 2007 6collabor8 - Palais Liechtenstein, Feldkirch, Austria; 2007 Analogue and Digital - Fieldgate Gallery, London, England; 2009 Sounds and Visions - Tel Aviv Museum of Modern Art, Israel; 2009 Heterotopia - Gallery No. 68, Valletta, Malta; 2011 Terrain Vague - St. James Cavalier, Centre for Creativity, Valletta, Malta; 2012 Merry-go-round - Interactive Sculpture, Larnaca Airport, Larnaca, Cyprus; 2013 Logos - Sta. Barbara church, Valletta, Malta; 2014 Kiss the Sky - Pjazza Teatru Rjal, Valletta, Malta; 2015 Ghoqda - Monument for EU-Africa Summit, Castille Square, Valletta, Malta; 2016 The Space in Between - K.B. Gallery, Kaposvár, Hungary; 2018 Flowerheads - Arte Gallery, Victoria, Gozo; 2019 Outland - 58th Venice Art Biennale - Malta Pavilion, Le Tese dell’Arsenale, Venice, Italy; 2020 Out of Time - Arthall Gallery, Victoria, Gozo; 2020 Taht - Fuq (collaboration with Trevor Borg) - (Under) Mining Project, Kalavasos, Cyprus; 2022 Kiss the Sky - Faculty of Media and Knowledge Sciences building, University of Malta campus, Msida, Malta; 2023 Small Amnesias - Kunsthalle Neuwerk, Konstanz, Germany; 2024 Marginalia - The Heritage Gallery, Greenwich, London.

SELECTED COLLECTIVE EXHIBITIONS: 1982 Contemporary Art Exhibition - Cathedral Museum, Mdina, Malta; 1983 Ggajta - British Legion and Ta’ Cenc Hotel, Gozo; 1983-1990 Maltafest - Auberge de Provence, Valletta, Malta; 1984 Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, Piccadilly, London, England; 1985 Marriott Hotels Contemporary Art Exhibition, Christie’s Sales Rooms, London; 1985 Chenil Galleries Contemporary Painters - Kings Cross, London, England; 1986 Italian and Maltese Artists - Hotel Phoenicia, Floriana, Malta; 1988 Mostra Internazionale d’Arte - Museo del Risorgimento, Rome; 1988 The Art of a Rising Generation - Chamber of Commerce, Valletta, Malta; 1989 Maltese Artists in Florence - Galleria Renzo Spagnoli, Florence, Italy; 1989 Malta -  25 Sena Indipendenti - Auberge de Provence, Valletta, Malta; 1990 Inaugural Exhibition - The Gallery, Sliema, Malta; 1991 Maltese Art - Cairo and Alexandria; 1991 Malta Week - Moscow, Russia; 1992-3 Maltese Contemporary Art - Travelling Exhibition, Germany; 1992 European Paintings - Gallery 100, St. Julians, Malta; 1993 Iljieli Mediterranji - In-Nudo fl-Arti Maltija - Floriana, Malta, 1994 Contemporary Sacred Art in Malta - Mdina, Malta; 1994 Iljieli Mediterranji - Dan... Din... Jien,  Floriana, Malta; 1994 Expressions ‘94 - AZAD, Casa Pereira, Valletta, Malta; 1994 Gallery Glage - Konigstein, Germany; 1995 Works - Institute of Visual Arts, Valletta, Malta; 1995 Woman in Maltese Art - Auberge de Provence, Valletta, Malta; 1995 First Biennale of Malta - Valletta, Malta; 1996 Maltafest - Valletta, Malta; 1996 Kreativa - Museum of Fine Arts, Valletta, Malta; 1996 Contemporary Christian Art - Mdina, Malta; 1997 Maltafest - Valletta, Malta; 1997 Euromed Conference - Valletta, Malta; 1998 WTDC Conference - Valletta, Malta; 1998 Labyrinth Gallery - Valletta, Malta; 1999 Re-interpreting Preti - Museum of Fine Arts, Valletta, Malta; 2000 From Hagar Qim to the Ring of Brodgar - Maritime Museum, Cottonera, Malta; 2000 25th Anniversary of the Republic of Malta Exhibition - Gallerija il-Foyer, National Labour Centre, Hamrun, Malta; 2000 Edinburgh Festival - City Art Gallery, Edinburgh, Scotland; 2000 Year Zero - Galeria d’Art Zero, Barcelona, Spain; 2000 Millennium Celebrations - Floriana, Malta; 2000 MAFA Degree Show - Bretton Hall College, Wakefield, England; 2002 UBER - Portomaso, Paceville, Malta; 2002 Cityspaces - YMCA Valletta Festival, Malta; 2003 Borders - Pinto Wharf, Valletta, Malta; 2003 Invisible Cities - St. James Centre for Creativity, Valletta, Malta; 2003 La Mostra Impossibile - Birgu, Malta; 2004 Body Works - Pierides Museum of Contemporary Art, Nicosia, Cyprus; 2004-5 Instant Europe - Villa Manin Centre of Contemporary Art, Udine, Italy; 2005 Collective - MOYA, Vienna, Austria; 2006 Oasis International - Japanese and Maltese Artists - Mediterranean Conference Centre, Valletta, Malta; 2006-7 Crossings - Malta, Cyprus, France - Travelling Contemporary Collective Exhibition; 2006-7 Selfportrait - A Show for Bethlehem - Show for Peace - Casoria Contemporary Art Museum, Naples, Italy and MAC - Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Santa Fe, Argentina; 2007 Search for a Space - Various Venues, Malta; 2007 Caravaggio - quote... unquote - Various Venues, Malta; 2007 Visions in the Nunnery - The Nunnery Gallery, Bow Arts Trust, London, England; 2007 The Philosophical Brothel - St. James Centre for Creativity, Valletta, Malta; 2007 6collabor8 - Palais Liechtenstein, Feldkirch, Austria; 2007 6collabor8 - The Citadel, Rabat, Gozo, Malta; 2007 Analogue and Digital - Fieldgate Gallery, London, England; 2008 Watch - Museum of Fine Art, Valletta, Malta; 2008 Sea Dreaming - St. James Centre for Creativity, Valletta, Malta; 2008 Scent - St. John’s Cavalier, Valletta, Malta; 2008 Eighteighteen - Malta Contemporary Art, Marsa, Malta; 2009 Sounds and Visions - Tel Aviv Museum of Modern Art, Israel; 2009 Ten - Gallery No. 68, Valletta, Malta; 2009 The Life Model - Between Nude and Naked - Gallery No. 68, Valletta, Malta; 2009 hello... @ ART PRAGUE 2009 - Art Prague, Prague; 2010 With Love? From Me to You - The James Taylor Gallery, London; 2011 I fought the X and the X won - National Museum of Fine Arts, Cluj, Romania and National Museum of Fine Arts, Valletta Malta; 2011 Festival Rues d’été - Graulhet, France; 2012 Wicc imb Wicc (Contemporary Self Portraiture) - St. James Centre for Creativity, Valletta, Malta; 2012-3 Stemperando - Torino, Cosenza, Roma, Italy; 2014 Identita’ - AZAD, Republic Street, Valletta, Malta; 2015 The Culture of Ageing - St. James Centre for Creativity, Valletta, Malta; 2015 Virtuoso – Studio 104, Valletta, Malta; 2016 Terrain Vague - MADATAC 07 - Madrid Videoart and New-Media Audiovisual Art Festival, Madrid, Spain; 2016 I am my photograph – Cologne Off 2016, India; 2017 Small Amnesias - Rhythms of Vision, Teatru Manoel, Valletta, Malta; 2017 The Malta Stock Exchange Art Exhibition – Malta Stock Exchange, Valletta, Malta; 2017  Human Matter - MSA Valletta, Malta;  2017-8 White Memory - 1989/2018 Art in Malta and Poland, Spazju Kreattiv, Valletta, Malta; 2017-8 Avlea - Closing exhibition, Pafos2017 European Capital of Culture, Markideio Theatre, Paphos, Cyprus; 2018 Contemporary Inside 2018 - Junior College, Msida, Malta; 2018 Metafourisms – Spazju Kreattiv, Valletta, Malta; 2018 Visual Acoustics – VIVA, The School of Art, Valletta, Malta; 2018 Metafourisms – Spazju Kreattiv, Valletta, Malta; 2018 Nisga - Storja Kontemporanja – Spazju Kreattiv, Valletta, Malta; 2018 Understatement – OKNO Gallery, Slubice, Frankfurt am Oder, Poland; 2018 IN BETWEEN - lo sguardo dell’arte fra due continenti – Biffi Arte, Piacenza, Italy; 2019 Ostrale Art Biennale – Dresden, Germany; 2019 Imprint IV – MSA, Valletta, Malta; 2019 Collective Exhibition – Valletta Contemporary, Valletta, Malta; 2021 Collective Exhibition – Marie Gallery 5, Mosta, Malta; 2021 Collective Online Exhibition – IN/BREAK, Transept 2021, ITIA, University of St Andrews, Scotland; 2022 OUTLAND – Sonorities Festival, Queen’s Film Theatre, Belfast, Northern ireland; 2022 Signature Collective Exhibition – Obelisk Gallery, Balzan, Malta; 2022 Inkimika – MUZA, Valletta, Malta; 2022 Identity of An Island - Alternative Perspectives – Astra Theatre, Victoria, Gozo, Malta; 2022 Meta Landscapes - Representations and Perspectives – Valletta Contemporary, Malta; 2023 Marie Gallery 5 - Gallery Inauguration Exhibition – Sliema, Malta; 2023 Between Sea and Land – MICAS Digital, Malta; 2023 Landings – Faur Zsófi Gallery, Budapest, Hungary; 2023 re:match – Stadium Hub, Targu Mures, Romania; 2023 TAHT | FUQ – Video installation in collaboration with Trevor Borg, Wignacourt Museum, Rabat Malta..

SELECTED CURATORIAL EXHIBITIONS: 1995 Collective Works - Institute of Visual Arts, Valletta, Malta; 1996 Kreativa - Museum of Fine Arts, Valletta, Malta; 2001-2 Uncertain Objects - Paintings by J. Michael Anderson - Museum of Fine Arts, Valletta, Malta; 2004 I feel guilty - Video and Installation by Ian Attard - St. James Cavalier Centre for Creativity, Valletta, Malta; 2004 The A to Z of family planning - Graphic Art by Marco Scerri - St. James Cavalier Centre for Creativity, Valletta, Malta; 2005 [R][R][F]2005--->XP/VideoChannel - curator for Maltese Participation – Memory & Identity, Cologne, Germany; 2005 Digital Discourse - An International Media Art exhibition for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, Malta - St. James Cavalier Centre for Creativity, Valletta, Malta; 2007 Borges and Peccata Mundi - Prints by J. Michael Anderson - St. James Cavalier Centre for Creativity, Valletta, Malta; 2007 Artifecture - A stART initiative - Malta Today newspaper; 2007 Analogue - (co-curator) Pioneering Video from UK, Canada and Poland 1968-88 - St. James Cavalier Centre for Creativity, Valletta, Malta; 2008 Watch - A collaborative exhibition with the Unit for Contemporary Art Practice, Leeds University - The National Museum of Fine Arts, Valletta, Malta; 2008 Rencontres Arles - curator for Maltese participation, Arles, France; 2009 Austin Camilleri & Pawl Carbonaro - curator for the two artist show at the Münchner Künstlerhaus, Munich; 2011 Unshackled Transformation - (co-curator), St. James Cavalier Centre for Creativity, Valletta, Malta; 2011 Valletta Photography Festival - (co-curator), various venues in Valletta and Auberge d’Italie, Valletta, Malta Malta; 2012 H-ardcore - Contemporary Art by Caesar Attard, St. James Cavalier Centre for Creativity, Valletta, Malta; 2013 Forces - Ceramics by George Muscat, St. James Cavalier Centre for Creativity, Valletta, Malta; 2013 Re-Visit, the Contemporary Face of Faith - Seven interventions in seven churches, Valletta, Malta; 2013 Art Project Ggantija - Ars Vitae Ensemble - Ggantija Temples, Gozo, Malta; 2013 Tampered Evidence - (co-curator), Blitz gallery, Valletta, Malta; 2013 Pyrokinesis - paintings by David Xuereb, Ta’ Xbiex, Malta; 2014 Eccentricks - sculpture by Emanuel Bonnici, St. James Cavalier Centre for Creativity, Valletta, Malta; 2014 Made in MT: Maltese Art Now - Malta House, Brussels, Belgium; 2014 Art project Ggantija Final Exhibition - Victor Agius - St. James Cavalier Centre for Creativity, Valletta, Malta; 2014 Selfie - Ziguzajg Festival, St. James Cavalier Centre for Creativity, Valletta, Malta; 2015 The Overlooked Performance – Photography by Alex Attard, St. James Cavalier Centre for Creativity, Valletta, Malta; 2016 Re-Collection – Ceramics by Tony Briffa, St. James Cavalier Centre for Creativity, Valletta, Malta; 2016 Layers – Ars Vitae Ensemble, St Agatha Catacombs, Rabat, Malta, 2017 In Transit - Contemporary Media Art by Artists from Malta - NRW-Forum, Dusseldorf, Germany and Town Hall, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands; 2018 Electromorphologies - Pioneering video art and its language – Valletta Contemporary, Valletta, Malta; 2019 Video Vortex XII exhibition - co-curator with Dr Toni Sant – Spazju Kreattiv, Valletta, Malta; 2019 The Beach - Gabriel Buttigieg – Academy of Fine Arts, Gdansk, Poland; 2021 Spaces in Suspension - Joe Smith & Therese Debono – St. James Cavalier Centre for Creativity, Valletta, Malta; 2022 In Between - Matthew Schembri & Thomas Scerri – St. James Cavalier Centre for Creativity, Valletta, Malta; 2022 Marlands (Mediterranean Islands Arts and Science Projects) - (co-curator) – Spazju Kreattiv, Valletta, Malta | Es Baluard, Mallorca I Isola, Catania.

PAPERS, ESSAYS AND TALKS: 2000 The Art of J. Michael Anderson, curatorial essay, Museum of Fine Art, Valletta; 2000 Memory, Sight and Expectation, The Moving Image as Continuous Memory, talk, Leeds University, UK; 2003-4 Immigrant, curatorial essay, Museum of Fine Art, Valletta; 2004 Nixtieq… On Fine Art and the Advertising Billboard, curatorial essay, Attard, Malta; 2004 I Feel Guilty, curatorial essay, St. James Centre for Creativity, Malta; 2004 The A to Z of Family Planning, curatorial essay, St. James Centre for Creativity, Malta; 2004 Maltese Contemporary Art, paper presentation, Artists in Transit Conference; Rotterdam; 2004 Absence as Presence: Reflections on the body of work entitled Immigrant, talk, Queen Street Studios, Belfast; 2005 Contemporary Practice, talk, Contemporary Art Practice, University of Leeds, UK; 2005 Digital Discourse, curatorial essay, St. James Centre for Creativity, Malta; 2006 Playing God-On interactive database video narratives, paper presentation, Electronic and Digital Art Unit, UCLan, Preston; 2007 Alternative Journeys, paper presentation, Crossings Conference, University of Amiens, France; 2007 The body we own and the body we are, Quoting Caravaggio, essay, Arts Council, Malta; 2008 Amid the Mundane and the Extreme, essay, NY Arts Magazine, Vol 13 No. 11/12, Nov. 2008, pp. 98-99; 2008 No. 68 Redprints, The house that is destined for memories and the memories that are meant for a house, essay, Redprints exhibition catalogue, Blitz, Valletta; 2008 Ebba’s Sketchbook, essay, Choppy Books, 2008, p. 177; 2008 Choosing Malta’s photographers for the “Rencontres de la Photographie d’Arles”, essay, Lensculture, Summer 2008; 2008 The (inter)national (inter)face of (inter)action - a look at some of the technologically technologically interactive works at the 52nd International Venice Biennale, essay, Art In-Sight: Artists’ Film, Video and Installation, Filmwaves, Issue 35, Obraz Productions Ltd., Spring 2008, pp. 14-18; 2009 Projected Visions - Video Art in Malta, essay, Apollonia online, 2009 The Poetics of Poiesis - Austin Camilleri & Pawl Carbonaro, curatorial essay, Münchner Künstlerhaus, Munich; 2009 Between a Kiss and the Naked Truth, essay, The Live Model - between Nude and Naked, Malta Arts Festival, 2009, pp. 24-31; 2011 Introduction, Valletta Photographic Festival, Valletta; 2011 Terrain Vague, essay, Terrain Vague, St. James Centre for Creativity, Valletta; 2011 Franklin Furnace, talk, book review, National Museum of Fine Art, Valletta; 2012 Seeing is Believing, paper and talk at the National Museum of Fine Arts, Malta; 2012 Only and Where are you from? online essays Norbert Attard website; 2012 Contemp(t)orary Art, talk, Palazzo Falson, Mdina; 2012 The Invention of the Frame, ‘I yam what I yam - l-Invenzione’ film launch, essay and presentation, St. James Centre for Creativity, Valletta; 2012 The place-moment: a time-marching-on-the-spot as witnessed by the constantly displaced view of the photographic camera, essay, Soul Searching, Sergio Muscat website; 2012 The Matter of Moments and the Moments that Matter, essay, Traces of Traces, St. James Centre for Creativity, Valletta; 2012, pp. 4-5; 2012 The space between clouds, essay, Shooting Society - Documenting Contemporary Life in Malta (C. Borg, R. Vella eds.), Midsea Books, 2012, pp. 40-43; 2012 H is for Human, curatorial essay, H-ardcore, St. James Centre for Creativity, Valletta, 2012, pp. 4-5; 2012 Unni Askeland, talk, National Museum of Fine Arts, Valletta; 2013 Reckoning the Forces, curatorial essay, Forces, St. James Centre for Creativity, Valletta, 2013, pp. 2-5; 2013 Art Project Ggantija 2013, introduction, Ggantija Art Project, Gozo; 2013 Re-Visit, talk, St. James Centre for Creativity, Valletta; 2013 A Journey in Three Instalments, essay and talk, Tampered Evidence, Blitz, Valletta, 2013, pp. 8-20; 2013 Fringe, talk, Sergio Muscat, Palazzo Depiro, Mdina; 2013 Pyrokinesis, curatorial essay and talk, David Xuereb, Ta’ Xbiex; 2014 The creative strategies of juxtaposition and hybridisation, essay, Eccentricks, Emanuel Bonnici, St. James Centre for Creativity, Valletta; 2014 Art Project Ggantija 2013, introduction, St. James Centre for Creativity, Malta; 2014 Made in MT: Maltese Art Now, talk, Dar Malta, Brussels; 2014 Researching Art and Design through Practice: A critical engagement with context, Visual Arts Research in Higher Education, essay, Malta Review of Educational Research, Malta; 2015 Searching for Meaning in Chaos, essay, Alex Attard website; 2015 The Digital Romantic, Pawlu Mizzi, essay, Her Majesty, Valletta; 2015 Discovering Art using Technology: The Selfie Project, Dingli, A., Seychell, D., Briffa, V., Handbook of Research on Creative Technologies for Multidisciplinary Applications, IGI Global, 2015; 2016 Re-Collecting identity through Obsolescence and Reusability, curatorial essay, Re-Collection, St. James Centre for Creativity, Valletta; 2016 Unfolding the layers of memory in time and space, curatorial essay, Layers catalogue, St Agatha Catacombs, Rabat, Malta; 2016 Co-existing dualities - the art of being inbetween, artist's talk, K.B. Gallery, Kaposvár, Hungary; 2018 Grasping at the contemporary, Interview, Malta Today; 2018 Electromorphologies - Pioneering video art and its language – curatorial talk and gallery walkthrough - Valletta Contemporary, Valletta, Malta; 2018 Public talk – Civitella Castle, Umbria, Italy; 2018 DRHA Conference – Keynote speech, Spazju Kreattiv, Valletta, Malta; 2018 Artist’s talk – OKNO Gallery, Slubice, Frankfurt am Oder, Poland; 2018 Artist’s talk – Biffi Arte, Piacenza, Italy; 2018 Exhibition inauguration speech – Saudade, Gabriel Buttigieg, MSA, Valletta, Malta; 2019 Artist’s talk – Rotary Club, Valletta, Malta; 2019 Being on the Beach – curatorial essay, The Beach catalogue, Gabriel Buttigieg; 2019 Artist’s talk – Video Vortex, Spazju Kreattiv, Valletta, Malta; 2019 Keynote speech - Video Vortex XII conference – Spazju Kreattiv, Valletta, Malta; 2020 Foreword, Survivors II art photography publication by Joe Smith, Malta; 2022 Un-Masking the Light In-Between Fact and Fabrication – curatorial essay, In Between exhibition catalogue, St. James Centre for Creativity, Valletta; 2023 Re-imagining Ogygia – Foreword in Alex Attard, Exposure – Fragmented Sculptures on an Island Coast. Malta: Kite Publishers; 2023 Cosmic Consciousness – Short essay for the exhibition catalogue – In Search of Line, Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti, Malta; 2023 Drawing the first breath – Short essay for the exhibition catalogue – In Search of Line, Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti, Malta; 2023 The Artist as Intermediary – Joseph Farrugia, Nous exhibition catalogue, MUZA, Malta; 2023 Some lingering thoughts on TAHT | FUQ, Exhibition catalogue – TAHT | FUQ. Kalavasos, Cyprus: Kite Publishers.