An artist’s impression of the art installation.

A small green patch at the foot of Valletta’s Ġlormu Cassar Avenue is being transformed into a contemporary art installation celebrating City Gate.

Designed by architect Chris Briffa, Prospettiva (prospective) will be ready by the end of summer and forms part of Valletta 2018 Foundation’s initiative to celebrate the capital city becoming the European Capital of Culture.

Excavations on the site started this week to make way for the installation. Prospettiva will revisit the memories of one of Valletta’s most iconic sites, known as Bieb il-Belt, through a “temporal collage”.

This juxtaposes the “seminal changes in Valletta’s lifetime while highlighting the forthcoming agendas of European Capital of Culture”.

The installation incorporates the five different gates at the entrance to Valletta that have made way for each other over time.

Mr Briffa said Valletta was a collection of eras on which layers of architecture “pay homage” to its stylistic preoccupations and ambitions.

Valletta 2018 Foundation said the most effective way to celebrate the European Capital of Culture “is by putting creative thought at the forefront of its activities”.

The installation was selected in a competition by a jury made up of Richard England, Rupert Cefai and Carlo Schembri.

The foundation apologised for any inconvenience caused while works were going on.