Qalb ix-Xewk is a site-specific public installation conceived as a spatial and material exploration of vulnerability within the everyday urban environment. The work is organised around a clear formal tension between a fragile, transparent core and an enclosing field of projecting steel elements. This duality establishes a condition of exposure and defence, where light, reflection and shadow become integral to the reading of the form. Constructed from steel, epoxy and integrated LED lighting, the installation changes character throughout the day, allowing the surrounding environment to be reflected, absorbed and re-emitted through its surfaces.

Located within Independence Garden in Sliema, the installation engages directly with its public setting, operating as a reflective architectural presence rather than a figurative monument. The mirrored and translucent elements draw the context into the work itself, collapsing the boundary between object and observer and encouraging close, contemplative interaction. Developed as part of the Art in Public Spaces programme, Qalb ix-Xewk positions public art as an architectural act—one that uses structure, material and light to prompt awareness, remembrance and reflection within the built environment.