Malta’s Nostalgic Journey: ‘Stories Revisited’ Exhibition

The Shop on Republic Street

Tucked away on Republic Street, the main thoroughfare of Rabat, there’s a shop that’s been selling stationery and school supplies since 1956. It’s a place where time seems to have stood still. The same wooden shelves, the same glass display cases, and the same old-fashioned cash register have been welcoming customers for generations.

Owner Tony Camilleri, now in his 70s, has seen Rabat grow and change around him. But his shop, ‘Stazione’, remains a constant, a nostalgic portal to the past. It’s this very shop that inspired local artist and writer, Joe Gerada, to create ‘Stories Revisited’, an exhibition currently running at the Malta School of Arts in Valletta.

Stories Revisited: A Nostalgic Journey

Gerada’s exhibition is a labour of love, a tribute to the Malta of yesteryears. It’s a collection of paintings, drawings, and written narratives that transport viewers back to a time when life was simpler, slower. When children played in the streets until the sun set, and the biggest worry was whether you’d have enough pocket money for the next comic book.

Each piece in the exhibition is a story in itself, a snapshot of Malta’s recent past. There’s the boy sitting on the steps of his house in Mdina, whittling away the hours with a pen and paper. There’s the group of friends playing ‘kick the can’ in the narrow streets of Birkirkara. And there’s the girl sitting by the window, daydreaming about her first love.

The Stories Behind the Stories

But ‘Stories Revisited’ is more than just a collection of artwork. It’s a community project, a collaborative effort to preserve Malta’s collective memory. Gerada has been collecting stories from locals, encouraging them to share their memories of growing up in Malta. These stories, written in Maltese and English, are displayed alongside the artwork, adding another layer to the exhibition.

Take for instance, the story of Mario from Zebbug. He remembers the time when his family used to walk to the village square every Sunday evening to listen to the radio broadcast of the football match. Or the story of Anna from Sliema, who recalls the excitement of getting her first pair of ‘ballin’ (platform shoes) and the joy of dancing the night away at the local disco.

These stories, along with the artwork, create a vivid mix Malta’s recent past. They remind us of a time when life was less hurried, less complicated. When the biggest joy was a new comic book or a pair of ‘ballin’.

As you walk through the exhibition, you can’t help but feel a sense of nostalgia. A longing for a time when life was simpler, slower. When the streets were filled with the laughter of children and the air was filled with the scent of freshly baked ‘pastizzi’.

: Preserving Our Past

But ‘Stories Revisited’ is not just about looking back. It’s also about , about preserving our past for future generations. Gerada hopes that the exhibition will inspire others to share their stories, to keep the memory of Malta’s recent past alive.

So, if you’ve got a story to tell, a memory to share, don’t keep it to yourself. Share it with the world. Because our stories, our memories, they’re not just ours. They’re Malta’s. They’re our collective heritage. And they deserve to be told.