President inaugurates National Memory Project

President Guido de Marco recently inaugurated the National Memory Project at the Banca Giuratale in Mdina. The building has been used as one of the repositories of the National Archives for the last 15 years. It offers access to archival records covering the period 1530 up to 1899, mainly legal records.

The main hallway of the building is now also being used to house a very interesting project. This first phase was sponsored by the Friends of the National Archives.

Professor de Marco has been for some time advancing the idea that Malta should have a national portrait gallery. In his words, "the collective memory of our people realises itself in such a national gallery, which should extend itself to prominence as emerging in different aspects of our society, from the mayor to the musician, from the artisan to the artist, from poet to prelate."

The first attempts at bringing together such a collection came about last year, when photographer Tony S. Mangion exhibited a series of portraits in an exhibition entitled "The Maltese". Assembled in the prestigious halls of the Palace, Mangion's works depicted personalities from various spheres of life. It was almost a tribute from the Presidency to distinguished personalities.

Through his works, Mangion gives an artistic depiction of the contemporary builders of our nation. Yet, it is also a historical record. It captures the feelings, sentiments and thoughts of most of the personalities photographed. It is also the work of a fellow Maltese who has worked abroad, and while away from his homeland came to appreciate more the talents and abilities of his fellow countrymen.

Mangion's ideas were met with enthusiasm by the head of the National Archives, Charles Farrugia. Following discussion with various experts in the field, a comprehensive project was developed.

The National Memory Project will consist of three phases: The National Portrait Archive; the National Photographic Archive; and the National Sound and Film Archive. The target is to preserve the historical record embedded in photos, films, and recordings that were created in the past.

On March 22 President de Marco inaugurated the National Portrait Archive. The staff of the National Archives prepared an audio-visual presentation exhibiting over 60 prominent leaders. The photos are accompanied by biographies and in some instances voice-overs. The final product will be available on cd in due course.

Concurrently, a permanent exhibition showing portraits of prominent personalities by Tony S. Mangion was inaugurated. It highlights the achievements of Maltese who distinguished themselves in different fields, such as politics, music, folksong, drama, and literature. New portraits will be added monthly. Following the identification of a sponsor for the project, the exhibition layout will be revamped to accommodate other portraits.

ln his speech Mr Farrugia explained the different phases of the project and said that it cannot move forward if a sponsor is not identified. President de Marco praised the initiative and thanked Tony Mangion for his contribution.