Creator: Justine Balzan Demajo

Supported by: Palais Le Brun, AP Architecture, Ilab Photo, Magna Żmien

From Where I Stand was setup as an exercise to invite the community to engage with their roots, their home, and their relationship with their city, in this case our beloved city Valletta. Ten members of the Valletta community were given the chance to reflect and connect with photographs taken from the Guido Stilon Collection. From the days of the faldetta, to the port activity, to the many lives lived in the Valletta streets, these photos taken in the 1950’s and 60’s paint an image of times gone by. Bursting with nostalgia, the photos focus on our Mediterranean identity and even highlight the different neighbourhoods within the city.

Like the project’s participants, Stilon was also born and bred in Valletta. Due to this common tie, this body of work creates a parallel between an old Valletta boy and the present Valletta community. Decades apart, their personal perspectives may differ but their principles and thoughts remain constant; that of unity, tradition, family life and the bustling energy that makes Valletta the city that it is. Through the microhistories of the city communities, we are giving the people a platform to voice their personal stories and recollections on the past. This community-curated exhibition should not necessarily make us yearn for the past but will hopefully urge us to protect our cultural heritage, the local community and the narratives that form part of it.

Studio 87: https://www.facebook.com/studio87valletta/