Next month, Arthall in Gozo will be hosting what it describes as “a very interesting, controversial, international, and large-scale project on freedom of movement” – ‘Hide me, Steal Me, Be Nice to Me.

A year ago, English Curator and Visual Artist, Diana Ali invited artists to reflect on what it means to confront barriers resulting in an exhibition of contemporary artwork investigating confrontational crossings, overcoming barriers an freedom of movement.

She organised an exhibition in Madeira, but things didn’t go as planned, as some works were detained by customs. The exhibition at Arthall means a fulfilment of that first try, said Diana.

In her words, “in 2024, a majority of the work was detained by the Portuguese customs on the way to be exhibited in Madeira. The artwork did not have a freedom to roam. In 2025, the art hopes to confront crossings and overcome barriers by having the opportunity to be exhibited at Arthall.”

The gallery said that the list of artists taking part is quite impressive. (37 artists from US, UK, Germany, China, Netherlands, Portugal, South Korea, and many artists with crossed nationalities). They will not be present for the exhibition as Diana will be representing them.

“We are facing many barriers globally where our identities are being bruised, rejected, and turned away. This leaves a tension for bodies, thoughts, and circumstances to be accepted and co-exist,” said Diana. “Artists have been invited to contest and question what it means to face barriers. Often our artworks have been declined from being shown and exhibited. This exhibition gives an opportunity for the art to migrate. There may not be a utopia, but there are ways of overcoming barriers.”

Hide me, Steal Me, Be Nice to Me will open on Friday, the 12th from 7-10pm, and runs until the Sunday, the 21st of September, normal opening hours. The majority of the works are photos, paper or card, and some paintings, the gallery said.

The venue is Arthall: 8, triq Agius de Soldanis, Victoria, Gozo.

To find out more about Diana Ali: https://www.dianaali.com/ or about the project please see here: https://hidestealnice.blogspot.com/

Photo: Arthall

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