(Re-) Capturing the Fungus Rock

Abstract

The Fungus Rock: Għerq Sinjur project represents a continuation of my ongoing research practice that delves deep into the fabric of place. Unlike the accessible places investigated through previous projects, that have always entailed a direct embodied sensorial experience, the fungus islet is strictly out of bounds (Figure 1). It has been like that for almost 300 years, well protected by law and now officially a designated nature reserve. Lanfranco (1960) attributes the legendary status of the so called ‘fungus’, which he describes as a ‘relic of history’ and ‘awe-inspiring’, mainly to the fact that it still survives in its original place. Also known as the General’s Rock, this small rocky projection is a stone’s throw away from the western coast of Gozo, however, its official ecological status and geological morphology make it practically unreachable.