Date of the work: 2018
Medium: Plexiglass
Exhibition history: Trasparenza (2022)
Three chunky oval transparent plexiglass pieces can be (re)assembled as desired. This is possible because as they are not attached to each other but can easily slot into each other through thick groves cut into half of one side on each piece. Because of this unique aspect, Rabta Bla Rabta can be considered an interactive work. In a sense, it is truly interactive because the way it is assembled by one person can change the way it is first perceived by the next person who sees it. In this way, the interactor becomes the artist’s collaborator in presenting a fluid work that is otherwise quite solid. 85 The Maltese name Rabta Bla Rabta is possibly best translated as tied without
being bound. This is almost like a fragment from a zen koan, presenting us with unintended complexity, which is generates through its apparent simplicity. There is no right or wrong way to reassemble this work of art. What’s essential is that you engage with it in a meaningful way, even if this is merely for personal amusement.
