Let me wind back a few months, to that fantastic evening in mid-October that started it all. The preparations for the Inheritance Exhibition were now almost ready, and the plan was to start setting up on Monday 18th October. In the meantime, just to make sure I’m totally snowed under, I dreamt up submitting an architectural panel for a fellowship (FMIPP) qualification. It was a tough one, not only due to the excruciatingly high standards, but also because I was doing this while juggling a 6-piece strong exhibition on a shoestring budget which would be open in three days time. I vowed I would keep my cool in the run-up to the qualifications, and being on some of the judging panels helped me keep my nerves in check, however inevitably the butterflies came, multiplied, and made a havoc of my stomach while I was sitting there waiting for the verdict.

It turns out it wasn’t such a bad idea after all, and I must say that the excitement was great when the judges said yes. I now happen to be the youngest Fellow in Malta, and one of the youngest in the UK, which is quite flattering. I also got interviewed for the SWPP magazine, which is quite nice!

Still reeling from this great news, I joined my family to set up the Inheritance exhibition the following Monday. I was very wary on the way it would be received, since “traditional photography” went somewhat straight out of the window with this exhibition. To my surprise, there was an overwhelmingly positive reaction to the exhibition. People were very pleased – dad’s work was an overwhelming success mostly due to his very original style which greatly pleased a more mature audience, while Carlo’s work and mine mostly appealed to the younger generation.

Over the next few weeks, we organised events, and in general kept ourselves very busy promoting the exhibition. In the end it seemed like a great success, and overall achieved our goal of showing how the same, seemingly restrictive, medium can be used in very different ways. I am glad to have spent all the time and energy to do this.

However that’s not all. Rupert Cefai, a fellow artist and friend, had approached me in September with a proposal to set up a small art gallery in Valletta. This had been a topic we had explored ad infinitum during our various conversations over the years, so it didn’t take much effort to delve into it. Over the next few months, Rupert worked on converting this totally run-down room into a great (albeit small) space where our work and that of other artists could be displayed. Gallery Pi opened in December, and again, I am glad to say that the space has been very well received, and we have had some very positive feedback. There is still loads to do, but the enthusiasm is strong and we’re hoping this project will grow into something which will become a mark in the local art scene.

Up next, I’ll be delivering a couple of presentations in the UK for the SWPP conference in London, which is pretty exciting stuff! I am sure it will be a fun experience and I am very much looking forward to it.

If this year stays on the same positive trend as last year, I think there will be quite a lot to write about (and very little time to do so). In the meantime, I’ve uploaded some new photos from the inheritance exhibition and the fellowship panel. Enjoy!

[View with PicLens]

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Thousands of images were received from 68 countries worldwide. The awards international Jury included captains of the industry from Magnum Photos, The Armory Show, Fratelli Alinari, Contrasto to Tate and Hamiltons in London who honored Spider Fellows with 84 coveted title awards in 28 categories. The judges reviewed the entries online for eight weeks before making their final nominations and Sergio’s “Just One Coin,” an exceptional image entered in the Photojournalism category, received a high percentage of votes overall.

“The Spider Awards celebrates photographers who operate at the highest levels of their craft,” said Basil O’Brien, the awards Creative Director. “Sergio’s work represents black and white photography at its finest, and we’re pleased to present him with the title of Nominee.”

You can view the 5th Annual Winners Gallery at http://bit.ly/aHUOUS

More black and white images may be viewed at http://bit.ly/cMTlGY

BLACK AND WHITE SPIDER AWARDS is the leading international award honouring excellence in black and white photography. This celebrated event shines a spotlight on the best professional and amateur photographers worldwide and honours the finest images with the highest achievements in black and white photography.