Located on St Christopher Street in Valletta, the Notarial Archives are a repository of information that containsover 20,000 volumes spanning six centuries. The Archives are managed by a dedicated team comprising staff and volunteers, all ofwhom work under the watchful eye of Dr Joan Abela, the founder of the Notarial Archives Foundation. The building is not normally associated to hosting public functions and events, making itrelatively unknown...But youwill soon get the chance to venture in.
"Artists as Archivists is an exhibition that will open the doors to not just the building itself but also to the stories found within the archives,"Katya explains. "Indeed, we have brought together seven artists who work with paper to produce overlapping narratives about everyday life and all that that brings with it."
With around 14 artworks being exhibited alongside the sizeable volumes, Artists as Archivists aims to get audiences thinking about the stories that often remain untold: from the overlooked happenings on busy Valletta streets to the layering of memories. In a way, this echoes many of the stories found within the Notarial Archives themselves, which are full of mundane, personal stories that have become fascinating and invaluable down the centuries.
The work by the seven up-and-coming artists will be exhibited throughout the Archives, leading visitors all the way up to the Crying Room, so called because, within its walls, lie centuries-old documents that were severely damaged duringthe Second World War and through the passage of time. Here, among the artwork, visitors will also be able to see the inspiration behind photographer Alex Attard's Parallel Existences, the main exhibition that Artists as Archivistsis accompanying, which will be on at Valletta Contemporary on East Street.
Alex, who spent time as the artist in residence at the Notarial Archive, dedicated months to giving the unusable documents a new lease of life through the medium of photography. The result is a series of black-and-white photos that show the beauty of decay, and which raise some very tedious-yet-important questions about the state they were found in and the importance of preserving the wealth of information found within our under-appreciated archives.
Indeed, along with Artists as Archivists, Parallel Existences is set to be a milestone in the Archives' story as they give the volumes there a scope that goes beyond that of research: It gives the Archives the opportunity to inspire, and to enjoy the limelight they deserve. In other words, it aims to stop them from simply being memories of the past.
"When it comes to exhibitions, a concept relating to the space is incredibly important,"Katya continues. "There are so many stories in these volumes, so many untold tales... It's what makes it a magical space."
Made up of Andrea Zerafa, Glenn Ellul, GiolaCassar, Teresa Sciberras, Sarah MariaScicluna, Umberto Buttigieg and Sabrina Calleja Jackson, the band of artists exhibiting at Artists as Archivists have a unique opportunity to shine a light on the Archives that can help us better understand our past. And I, for one, can't wait to see what their creations will be.
'Artists as Archivists' will be on at the Notarial Archives, 24 St Christopher Street, Valletta, between 3 and 6 October. 'Parallel Existences' will be exhibited at Valletta Contemporary,East Street, Valletta, between 5 October and 2 November. The project is supported by Arts Council Malta - Malta Arts Fund, Project Support Grant, GasanMamo Insurance, The Farsons Foundation and the French Embassy Entrance is free.