CROSSFIRE
Concerning the nature of our culture
Crossfire is the title of an installation comprising over 9,000 spent shotgun cartridges responding to the historic Spring Hunting Referendum held in Malta on April 11th 2015. The process for the abrogative referendum was initiated by the people; a section of the local populace who wants to see Spring hunting abolished.
The installation interrogates the contested ground where nature and culture meet and exchange fire. It seeks to open up and problematise notions of identity, legacy, violence and anthropocentrism. It develops out of the ashes and it breathes new life into apparent lifeless matter. Nature and culture are key terms in the context of Crossfire, hence the title of the installation: Crossfire – Concerning the Nature of Our Culture.
Crossfire - Concerning the nature of our culture, 9000 shotgun cartridges, 300cm x 300cm, Spazju Kreattiv Valletta, Malta, 2015
Crossfire - Concerning the nature of our culture, Beijing International Art Biennale, National Art Museum of China, 2022
There is no denying the fact that hunting is intrinsically part of Maltese culture but this niche practice is not exclusive to Malta, however, hunting practices and methods may vary from one culture to the other. In Malta, hunting as 'sport' dates back to the Knights of the Order of Saint John. Grandmaster de Valette was an avid hunter like many other Knights; he formed part of the hunting tradition and continued to transform the Buskett landscape to suit his hunting needs (Freller 2009).
Considered a pastime of rulers and noblemen, hunting gradually became more ingrained in the island’s cultural identity. Scruton (1998) describes the practice of hunting as ‘a ceremony, an act of communion, a part of courtliness and kingship’. Hunting is similarly described by William Somerville in his poem ‘The Chace’.
‘The price of manhood, hail thee with a song,
And airs sift-warbling; my hoarse-sounding horn
Invites thee to The Chace, the sport of kings;
Image of war, without its guilt…’
(Somerville 1773)
