Asleep with the Fishes takes its name from a Sicilian quote made popular by the film The Godfather (1972). To “sleep with the fishes” is to have one's corpse disposed of in a body of water.
The work examines the legacy of Teresa’s late father, who was born on the Mediterranean archipelago nation, Malta, and migrated to South Australia by boat. Throughout his adult life, her father lived and worked as a diver, fisherman and professional criminal.
Malta, a country of staunch Catholic faith and a long history of adaptation, assimilation and cross fertilization of beliefs, is also notorious for political corruption. Teresa's interest lies in exploring the blurred lines of morality and the subjective nature of judgments.
Contemplating her own personal use of legal medicinal cannabis and her father’s choice to illegally sell drugs to support her family, Teresa explores this duality, referencing the drug’s conflicting relationship with prohibition and public acceptance. Questioning government propaganda and symbolism, this exhibition considers authority, corruption and how social class affects moral judgement and ways of living.
Asleep with the Fishes weaves together Teresa's memories, personal beliefs, and family history with elements of fantasy. Using repurposed materials, including a salvaged boat, she employs assemblage and sculptural techniques, drawing connections with religious iconography and deities, while exploring her own place in the Maltese diaspora.
The work is a personal exploration of being multiple contradictory things at one time; both foreign and local, moral and criminal, honest and deceitful, combining fishing elements with symbols relating to religion and drugs to consider what really makes a person ‘good’.
The shells in this work have been responsibly sourced and many are by-product of other industries. They have been collected from restaurants, auction houses and a variety of sustainable suppliers.
