melitensis identitas: a reflection on imported cultures & national identity through botany
Media Space and Network Culture
MA Architecture (Digital Media) 2021/22 (Distinction)
MA Architecture (Digital Media) 2021/22 (Distinction)
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The most prominent species in the Maltese landscape which the culture identifies with are introduced, invasive species. The prickly pear, the agave, the mimosa. The vulnerable endemics hide away as their population numbers diminish, while the introduced dominate.
As an island nation positioned in between continents, how do/have we perceive(d) our imports? Are they celebrated or rejected? Do we embrace diversity - are we truly hospitable? That with which we identify with may not necessarily be always authentically ours. Is this a stolen representation of a natural landscape // of a culture?
The most prominent species in the Maltese landscape which the culture identifies with are introduced, invasive species. The prickly pear, the agave, the mimosa. The vulnerable endemics hide away as their population numbers diminish, while the introduced dominate.
As an island nation positioned in between continents, how do/have we perceive(d) our imports? Are they celebrated or rejected? Do we embrace diversity - are we truly hospitable? That with which we identify with may not necessarily be always authentically ours. Is this a stolen representation of a natural landscape // of a culture?
