The Beheading of St John the Baptist is one of Caravaggio’s masterpieces. It is located at the Valletta Cathedral in Malta, and here at the Maltese Pavilion, it is re-imagined in the form of an immersive, kinetic installation that merges biblical narration with the present. Following the rhythm of Gregorian chant, drops of molten steel fall in seven water-filled vats, one for each of the painting’s subjects. Red-hot metal glows brightly and, as it touches water, it sizzles, shrink, and cools down into darkness.
