01/09/2026
💨🐈⬛ Qatt ħsibt x’inhi l-istorja wara l-qattus ta' Fomm ir-Riħ?
Issibu fuq għolja ’l fuq mill-Imġarr, b’veduta spettakolari tal-kosta Maltija, dan il-qattus huwa ħafna aktar minn sempliċi monument mhux tas-soltu.
L-iskultura nħolqot fl-2017, Il-Warda tar-Riħ, proġett tal-Programm Kulturali Valletta 2018 żviluppat mir-Rubberbodies Collective b’kollaborazzjoni mal-komunitajiet lokali.
Il-proġett esplora l-għarfien tradizzjonali dwar ir-riħ u l-folklor tal-gżejjer, u ġabar flimkien erba’ komunitajiet — l-Imġarr, Marsaxlokk, Tas-Sliema u l-Għarb — biex stejjer lokali jinbidlu f’erba’ skulturi kbar kinetiċi li jservu ta’ indikaturi tad-direzzjoni tar-riħ.
Għall-Imġarr, l-ispirazzjoni kienet il-qattus. Matul ir-riċerka għall-proġett, l-għarfien lokali maqsum mir-resident tal-Imġarr Mario Vassallo kien jinkludi t-twemmin li l-qtates setgħu jindikaw bidliet fid-direzzjoni tar-riħ. Il-folklor tradizzjonali dwar ir-riħ kien josserva wkoll id-direzzjoni li fiha qattus kien idur wiċċu waqt li jkun qed jaħsel lilu nnifsu.
Ir-riżultat huwa din l-iskultura distintiva f'Fomm ir-Riħ — opra ta’ arti pubblika li tippreserva biċċa żgħira mit-tradizzjoni orali Maltija, filwaqt li tibdilha f’xi ħaġa li għadha tinteraġixxi mal-elementi sal-lum. 🌬️🇲🇹
Monument kurjuż, iżda wkoll tfakkira li l-wirt kulturali Malti kultant jista’ jinsab fl-aktar postijiet mhux mistennija.
📍 Fomm ir-Riħ, Mġarr
🎨 Il-Warda tar-Riħ / The Windrose Project
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💨🐈⬛ Have you ever wondered about the giant cat at Fomm ir-Riħ?
Perched above Mġarr, overlooking one of Malta’s most dramatic stretches of coastline, the giant cat is more than an unusual landmark.
The sculpture was created in 2017 as part of Il-Warda tar-Riħ (The Windrose Project), a Valletta 2018 Cultural Programme project developed by the Rubberbodies Collective in collaboration with local communities.
The project explored Malta and Gozo’s traditional knowledge and folklore surrounding the wind, bringing together four communities, Mġarr, Marsaxlokk, Sliema and Għarb, to transform local stories into four large kinetic wind-vane sculptures.
For Mġarr, the inspiration was the cat. During the project’s research, local knowledge shared by Mġarr resident Mario Vassallo included the belief that cats could indicate changes in the wind. Traditional wind lore also observed the direction in which a cat would face while washing itself.
The result is this distinctive sculpture at Fomm ir-Riħ, a piece of public art that preserves a small fragment of Malta’s oral tradition while turning it into something that still interacts with the elements today. 🌬️🇲🇹
A curious landmark, but also a reminder that Malta’s cultural heritage can sometimes be found in the most unexpected places.
📍 Fomm ir-Riħ, Mġarr
🎨 Il-Warda tar-Riħ / The Windrose Project
📸DOI