Dante: Vie Smarrite

In honour of the 700th centenary of Dante Alighieri's death, Matthew Robert Shirfield presented the Medieval poet passing through 'roads lost' in search of authenticity. Inspired by the Divina Commedia this series of works portray Dante embarking on a journey in the hope of countering contemporary decadence and moral ruin. These works propose a novel approach to the literary epic, not only through the iconography of the protagonists but also by being placed in a Maltese visual context. 

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The works where exhibited in 2021 in a joint exhbition with Anthony Catania and Kylie Aquilina titled, Dante: Il Folle Volo, Vie Smarrite, La Prima Radice. The project was part of the Valletta Cultural Agency cultural programme for 2021, and The Strada Stretta Concept, under the artistic direction of Giuseppe Schembri Bonaci, in collaboration with the Società Dante Alighieri and the Fine Art and Art History Department within the University of Malta. The event formed part of a series of international events dedicated to the same centenary celebrations.

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These works have also been published in a 2023 publication by Professor Schembri Bonaci titled 'Death unto Boredom'. 

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For more information please click on the articles below:

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Newsbook staff reporter. “Dante: Il Folle Volo, Vie Smarrite, La Prima Radice.” Newsbook Malta, 2021.

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“Dante: Il Folle Volo, Vie Smarrite, La Prima Radice.” University of Malta Newpoint, 2021.

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