Dimensions: 51.5cm x 18cm x 42cm
Date of the work: 2017 Medium: Plexiglass
Exhibition history: Buon Giorno Cermica – Gabriel Caruana Foundation (2017); Malta Parliament (2017); Ministry of Gozo (2018); Malta International Airport Skyparks (2018); Trasparenza (2022)
Gānbēi is another work presented as part of the series seen during the 2018 Inspired in China touring exhibition. Similarly to Go Go Go, an earlier version of Gānbēi was included in the Gabriel Caruana Foundation’s 2017 edition of their participation in Buongiorno Ceramica.
During her visit to China in the summer of 2017, Tabone was impressed by the crisp lines in the architecture that she saw in Guizhou province, both old and contemporary buildings, as well as in the impressive natural habitats in that region, such as the so- called mushroom rock at Fanjingshan, and its apparent precarious balance. This is now captured in Gānbēi, which can stand both in a conventional vertical arrangement as well as in a diagonal position, demonstrating the dynamic force that can be created by large structures that stand precariously in what appears to be a delicate balance that possibly should not be. 65 The play on balance is also captured through the use of intoxicating drinks in different cultures. In most cultures, drinking is a social leveller that bonds human beings together when exclaiming cheers, nasdarovie, evviva or gānbēi. A particular Chinese drinking game involving seven fountains informs the awkward-to-handle dimensions of this piece, which can also be seen as a fragile large libation receptacle. A further visual element the artist brings from her visit to Guizhou into this work, is the use of light to highlight the contours of this piece, as it was shown when exhibited during the 2022 exhibition Trasparenza at the University of Malta’s Valletta Campus. Here the artist aims to captured some of the enchantment that comes with the play of natural light during the day and that of electric lights after sundown.
