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FPM has embarked on a long-term initiative to digitise, document, and preserve archives connected to Malta’s artistic, cultural, and social history. Through this work, we aim to safeguard important collections, support research, and make cultural heritage more accessible to future generations.

Working closely with families, artists, collectors, estates, researchers, and institutions, FPM digitises a wide range of archival material including photographs, correspondence, catalogues, manuscripts, audiovisual recordings, exhibition documentation, and other historically significant records. The process allows fragile material to be professionally preserved in digital form while originals remain fully intact and in the possession of their owners.

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THE MALTESE MODERN ART ARCHIVE

One of the principal strands of the project is the Maltese Modern Art Archive – an evolving archive focused on Maltese modern artists, their families, collections, exhibition histories, correspondence, and personal archives.

A key part of this initiative is closely connected to the VP Gallery’s annual exhibition programme dedicated to major figures within Maltese modern art; each exhibition becomes an opportunity to preserve and digitise archival material connected to the artist in focus. Following the successful digitisation of archival material relating to Emvin Cremona, work is currently underway on the archive surrounding Gabriel Caruana. Alongside this, the studio also continues documenting and digitising works and material held within the VP Gallery’s own reserve collection.

The project is carried out in collaboration with artists’ families, private collectors, researchers, and institutions, helping preserve not only artworks themselves but also the stories, relationships, exhibition histories, and wider cultural networks surrounding them.

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OTHER AREAS OF FOCUS

Beyond modern art, the digitisation project also supports a number of wider initiatives across Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti.

This includes the digitisation of material prepared for publication in Treasures of Malta, where photographs, archival documents, maps, artworks, and other visual resources are sourced and documented to accompany new research and editorial content.

The project also encompasses the ongoing preservation of the Foundation's own institutional archive. This includes exhibition records, catalogues, photographs, research material, publications, and documentation relating to cultural projects developed by FPM over the past decades. Current work includes the digitisation of archival material connected to landmark exhibitions such as Maltese Prehistoric Art (1996).

Together, these strands contribute to a growing digital resource that preserves not only collections and objects, but also the histories of exhibitions, research, publishing, and cultural production in Malta.

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RESEARCH & ACCESS

The long-term aim is to establish a growing digital resource that can support students, researchers, curators, artists, educators, and the wider public. Through digitisation, documentation, and careful cataloguing, FPM seeks to contribute to a stronger culture of preservation, research, and accessibility within Malta’s cultural sector.

Should you have archival material, photographs, correspondence, catalogues, or documentation relating to Malta’s modern art movement or wider cultural history, please feel free to contact the FPM team on info@patrimonju.org.

The digitisation service is currently offered free of charge as part of Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti’s commitment to preserving and making accessible Malta’s artistic and cultural heritage. For more information about the Malta Modern Art Archive and the digitisation work taking place at the VP Gallery, please visit the gallery website.

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Photos by Lisa Attard