The Victor Pasmore Gallery is proud to present Burning Waters, a striking new exhibition by contemporary artist Arcangelo Sassolino, curated by Keith Sciberras in collaboration with Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti, and presented as part of the RETOLD commemorative project commissioned by Arts Council Malta.

In direct dialogue with the legacy of Victor Pasmore, and through contrasting materials, methods, and eras, this exhibition explores themes of transformation, instability, and the elemental forces that shape both nature and human experience. At the heart of the exhibition are Sassolino’s works on paper, created using molten steel as both medium and mark. These pieces emerge from his acclaimed 2022 installation Diplomazija Astuta for the Malta Pavilion at the Venice Biennale; an immersive work inspired by Caravaggio’s The Beheading of St John. In this latest series, Sassolino continues his exploration of matter in flux. Molten steel collides with paper, burning through its surface in unpredictable patterns, each work capturing a moment where destruction becomes form, and chaos becomes composition. Presented alongside these recent works are a selection of prints by Victor Pasmore, including a limited-edition book with Pasmore’s prints and poetic writings, Burning Waters, which lends the exhibition its title. While Pasmore’s approach leans toward structured abstraction and poetic reflection, his fascination with elemental tension—between movement and stillness, fire and water—resonates strongly with Sassolino’s more volatile process. Together, these works invite viewers into a space where contrasts meet violence and grace, permanence and ephemerality, past and present. The exhibition not only highlights the material intensity of both artists' practices but also opens up broader reflections on perception, process, and transformation—whether physical, historical, or spiritual.

Burning Waters will be open to the public from 9th October 2025 to 3rd January 2026. This exhibition is commissioned by Arts Council Malta in collaboration with Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti.

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