"The Magnificent Eight"

Made in 2018
The eight points in the cross of Malta upheld by the Knights Hospiteller refer to:
* To live in truth
* To have faith
* To repent of one's sins
* To give proof of humility
* To love justice
* To be merciful
* To be sincere and wholehearted
* To endure persecution
The world is not black and white, so we need guiding principles to be our true north. Whenever we stray too far from them, they function as the value compass, through which we can return ourselves and our environment to balance. Chaos is the default setting, so order must be restored by self-discipline and acquisition of knowledge. During WWII, Malta served as a healing island for wounded soldiers. Today, it nurtures frontier ventures like cryptocurrency to prominence, so that we can attempt to heal one of our most broken systems - the monetary system. The symbol of Bitcoin is embedded in the rising sun referring to the future of the island.
The eight colourful doors refer to the resistant spirit of the Maltese people. Many have attempted to conquer it during its history.

As Malta does not allow many colours in the buildings, the locals found a way to bring it in regardless. The aforementioned all align with Bitcoin. Walking through each value door sets our path on a better trajectory. They serve as a welcoming force, kind of like the statues of Easter Island, also relaying a wish of conduct and respect. The more polarised our global political conversations get, the more we require the guiding principles on our side. Not to bash the enemy with but to compare our mirror reflection. The Red Cross of charity in the hat of the doors is merged with the Maltese cross made from spectrolite stone, which has been used widely in the defence of Finland - it is our limestone of the north.
Many of the buildings of Malta are made from limestone, which has many legendary connotations. This is what the background photography in the piece embeds. Limestone was also used as the internal material of the Great Pyramid of Giza. The history and infused mystery in both places go way back. The skyline made from blockchain code has many pictures of catacomb works embedded in it. The sun is also a reference to the 365 churches in Malta - one for each day of the year.

The first of the three re-paints was auctioned at the Blockchain Awards at the Malta Blockchain Summit. The guest of honour was the Maltese president H.E. Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca and the piece got to share the stage with the A.I lady Sophia.

Purchase of this NFT includes a right to a print of up to 3m wide or tall from the artist.