‘Stories Revisited’: A nostalgic portrait of growing up in Malta

Malta’s streets echo with tales of yesteryears, whispers of childhood adventures long past. In the heart of Valletta, a new exhibition, ‘Stories Revisited’, is breathing life into these memories, painting a nostalgic portrait of growing up in our sun-kissed islands.

From Street Games to School Days

Step into the grand Auberge de Castille, and you’re transported back to a time when games were played with marbles, not pixels. The exhibition, curated by Malta’s National Museum of Fine Arts, is a love letter to our collective past, filled with personal anecdotes and shared experiences.

Remember ‘Mankala’? The board game carved into the stone steps of your neighborhood? Or the thrill of ‘Bogga’ under the streetlights of Triq San Ġorġ? These games, and many more, are brought to life through illustrations and artifacts, each one a story waiting to be told.

School days are revisited too, from the uniformed lines outside St. Aloysius College to the chalk dust and wooden desks of our primary schools. The exhibition captures the essence of our education, not just the facts, but the feelings – the first day nerves, the friendships forged, the lessons learned.

Familiar Faces, Unforgettable Places

The exhibition isn’t just about games and schools; it’s about the people and places that shaped us. There’s the corner shop, with its sweet aroma and jarred treats. The village festa, with its band marches and fireworks. The seaside, with its rock pools and ice cream cones.

Each scene is painted with a familiar face – the village baker, the school teacher, the neighborhood ‘tata’. They’re not just characters in a story; they’re our stories, our history, our identity.

And the locations? From the bustling streets of Ħamrun to the quiet lanes of Żebbuġ, each one is a character in its own right. The exhibition isn’t just a walk down memory lane; it’s a walk through the very heart of Malta.

More Than Just Nostalgia

But ‘Stories Revisited’ is more than just a trip down memory lane. It’s a reminder of how far we’ve come, and how much we’ve changed. The exhibition isn’t just about the past; it’s about the present too, about the stories we’re living now, and the ones we’ll tell in the future.

It’s a call to preserve our history, to pass on our stories, to ensure that the Malta of tomorrow knows the Malta of yesterday. It’s a reminder that our identity isn’t static; it’s a tapestry, woven with every generation’s experiences.

So, whether you’re a Malta native or a curious visitor, ‘Stories Revisited’ is an exhibition not to be missed. It’s more than just an art show; it’s a conversation starter, a memory jogger, a love letter to our shared past.

And as you leave, stepping back into the present, you might find yourself looking at our streets, our people, our history, with a newfound appreciation. Because every street, every person, every story, is a piece of who we are.

“Malta is not just a place on the map,” says curator Dr. Kenneth Cassar. “It’s a story, a collection of memories, a mix experiences. And ‘Stories Revisited’ is our way of sharing that story.”