Words matter. Sometimes they are a matter of life and death. And while my words, in this case, did not quite carry that weight, they did feel immensely important and I choose them more carefully and expressed them with more attentiveness than ever before.Maltese investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia was assassinated on October 16, 2017. Shortly thereafter I started the process of creating a large copper portrait of her. This portrait was unveiled at the European Parliament in Strasbourg by President Antonio Tajani on October 23, 2018 and it is permanently placed by the European Parliament Press Conference Room, named after the assassinated journalist. During the unveiling I gave a speech about the portrait, my reasons for doing it, as well as its techniques and context. The speech is written here in full, and its delivery can also be watched in this video (starting at c. 11:50) from the live stream of the unveiling event, broadcast by the European Parliament.
“Mr President, thank you for inviting me. I know that you, as a journalist, also feel particularly strongly about the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia. To Daphne’s family I would like to say thank you for your dignity, integrity and warmth. Members of Parliament, ladies and gentlemen, esteemed members of the Press – thank you all for being here.
The assassination of a journalist is not just a crime against one individual. It strikes at all of us. It is a fundamentally horrific blow to everyone’s rights. And in Malta, both the context and the after-math are also vehemently divisive and political. As an artist, I have not often ventured into political issues. But this one ventured into me.
I have been partly living and working in Malta since 2011 and am married to a wonderful Maltese man. The country feels like home and inspires me massively.
Following the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia I had no choice but to act, to do whatever I could as a professional artist. I wanted to not only honor this fearless journalist, but also help keep her memory alive. Also in the face of those – not least her murderers – who would prefer to eradicate her memory.
I already knew Daphne Caruana Galizia as a journalist. Over the past year I have spoken to Daphne’s husband and visited their home. And through all this I also got to know a woman who put art and beauty before practicality, and who consistently put integrity before convenience… and even before her own safety.
Including all of my research and experiments, creating this portrait has taken a total of 470 hours. The copper portrait was etched deeply in a nitric acid bath for eight days to create different levels on the surface, bringing out the motif. And while I normally use chemicals to achieve different colors, in this portrait I filled in the etched areas with printer’s ink. Ink from one of the printing presses that used to print Daphne Caruana Galizia’s words.
Without wanting to illustrate the many facets of her life, I did want to give her a human context. In the side of the portrait, I integrated elements from her life, using etched and patinated copper, bronze and brass. Books and dogs and elephants, that she loved. Leaves from her garden, her sanctuary. Article 11 from the EU’s Charter of Fundamental Rights, about Freedom of expression and information, and Daphne’s own last words.
When a journalist is killed, we are all worse off. We all lose. She was controversial, but whether you agreed with her or not – unless you’re a criminal or corrupt – you lose.
When integrity becomes a scarcity and entitlement and impunity spread, we cannot be silent. When freedom of speech is attacked we all need to roar with outrage. And when time passes and no one is held to account, that outraged roar doesn’t fade. It multiplies in strength and in volume. It manifests itself in ways that cannot be silenced.
This portrait is my roar.”
