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Explosions
Maltese fishermen (and firework-makers) have, in the past, fished unexploded bombs from the islet of Filfla, which was used as target practice for rockets, missiles and torpedoes during the British Rule (1800-1974).
In 2021 Grima researched the topic of explosions after discovering various stories that deserved further contemplation on the Island, one of the most bombarded places on Earth during World War II, with a turbulent political history in the ’70s and 80’s and more recently with a series of car-bombs and several incidents in firework factories, which brought numerous tragedies and deaths over the past century.
During the research and conversations, the artist also drew upon his personal history: part of his family, through three generations, is engaged in the manufacturing of fireworks and has lived in the quiet village of Qrendi [1] , a stone’s throw away from Filfla.[2]
Silence has come to play an essential role in this creation.
- Qrendi is a small village in the Southern Region of Malta, with 2752 people as of March 2014. It is located close to Mqabba, Żurrieq and Siggiewi. Within its boundaries are two well-known Neolithic temples called Mnajdra and Ħaġar Qim. In this village, two feasts are held annually. The feast of Our Lady of Lourdes is celebrated either on the last Sunday of June or on the first Sunday of July, with 15 August being the titular feast of the Ascension of Our Lady. This feast is popularly known as the feast of Santa Marija.
- Filfla is a small, mostly barren, uninhabited islet 4.5 kilometres (2.8 miles) south of Malta and is the most southerly point of the Maltese Archipelago. filflu (or filfluu), a small rocky islet some 101 metres (331 feet) southwest of Filfla, has the southernmost point of Malta
Manifestations