Parallel Existences

When should we discard something that has been destroyed and rendered useless? Inspired by documents held in the ‘Crying Room’ of the Notarial Archives in Valletta, this series of photographs by Alex Attard breathes new life into centuries old, never-before-seen, historical manuscripts irreparably damaged during the last war. In collaboration with the Notarial Archives Foundation, the artist looks at these damaged documents beyond the purpose of their creation. He examines absence, presence and usefulness and conceives and suggests alternative identities, parallel existences, for these forgotten manuscripts through an artistic expression, where history informs art, and art returns continuity to history by restoring time, memory and purpose to it. ​