midlife crisis

Artist: Daniel Borg
Curator: Elyse Tonna
GCF Programme Manager: Raffaella Zammit


part of the Gabriel Caruana Foundation SPRING Artistic Programme for Emerging Artists 2021: Solo Exhibition

Midlife Crisis is an introspective exhibition of works by Daniel Borg which shifts focus from extraordinary realities to ordinary experiences through an entire exploration of the self. The visual instances presented in this exhibition, portray reflective elements, which, in the context of a midlife crisis, bring to the forefront the artist’s concern with age vis-à-vis artistic production. The exhibition conveys an amalgamation of consequences following a process of rediscovery, through a series of images unveiling aspects of the mundane. 

The artist captures melancholic instances transmitting a quasi-universal and timeless atmosphere, lacking contextual references. This body of work is generally autobiographical, related to places, friends, thoughts, emotions and experiences which linger in the mind of the artist. The introspective musings probe and uncover aspects related to boredom. The latter is a subjective phenomenon conveying moments of uncertainty, generally having meaningless connotations. According to Heidegger, boredom challenges thoughts and emotions, it is a way of understanding our existence. For Nietzsche, boredom is the “unpleasant calm which precedes creative acts”. 

This phenomenon, as with a midlife crisis, is generally associated with lengthy periods of time characterised by a general feeling of loss and emptiness. On the other hand, a certain duality exists which triggers existential reflections, generally resulting in the generation of new meaning and realisations. In line with Borg’s personal experiences over the past year, this collection of paintings projects the artist to a new trajectory, away from the world of music and into the world of painting. The latter has allowed the artist to tap into his subconscious, delving into a world of curiosity and interpretation, a means of escape.