Il- Anġli! was a walk-through performance installation created for Notte Bianca 2017 by Ira Melkonyan and Jimmy Grima, founder members of the performance-art collective: The Rubberbodies https://www.facebook.com/rubberbodies/

Partially based on Michel Serres’s ‘angels-as-messengers’ concept, Il- Anġli! incited the viewer to explore the idea of movement, flux and transition through performing liquids and bodies. Il- Anġli! was performed at The Gut, Valletta, together with Sean Decelis, Matthew Micallef, Julia Camilleri, Valentina Oliva, Sandra Zaffarese, Aidan Corlette, Nicole Blackman, Franklin Grima, Michael Grima, Svitlana Melkonyan, Khaled Abugrin, Lauren Salerno, and Cheyenne X-yn.

Here’s a glimpse into this “IMAGINATIVE SPACE OF PLAY…”

Entrance Hall: A few words of introduction by Ira & Jimmy.

Waiting Room: First encounter with liquids dripping on the floor and a quotation from ‘Angels: A Modern Myth’ by Michel Serres (written out on the wall by Sean).

Courtyard: Valentina dancing to the music of her personal iPod, not heard to the audience, followed by Julia taking care of liquid supplies for the rest of the installation. The voice-over of Cheyenne is heard, quoting Michel Serres.

Tea Room: Ira having a tea while pink cornstarch is dripping on a plastic plant.

Tea Room: Love, an element of Il- Anġli! installation.

Graffiti: Ink on Tea Room wall by Sean.

The Angel Room: An Angel figurine stands in a large puddle of rain water (it rained heavily two days before the event). Drops from a water jerrycan set above the Angel produce water circles that momentarily freeze in the strobe light. Passers-by stop to gaze into the room through a shop window.

Fountain Room: Two bags of coloured xantham gum counterbalanced with jerrycans of water – the state of contained mess.

Fountain Room: The water jerrycans outweigh the XG bags and trigger the splash – the liquid is released, so is the mess.

Fountain Room: A few seconds after the liquid release.

Fountain Room: An element of Il- Anġli! installation.

Another element of Il- Anġli! installation: Ele blue puddle made of xantham gum and glitter and a balloon-escapee.

The Sound Room: Water continuously drips into five different containers; the sound of droplets is being captured and transmitted throughout the venue as a live soundtrack. Operated all night long by Jimmy with the assistance of Sean.

Fliskatur Room: A large container filled to the brim with coloured XG. Small drops from the jerrycan above caused the liquid to overflow for the whole duration of the performance, 5 hours, slowly covering part of the room. The last room of the installation.

Photo Credit: Eve Cocks
Caption INFO kindly provided by: Ira Melkonyan and Jimmy Grima