The capital that was

In 1982 artist photographer David Pisani embarked on a personal project to document the city of Valletta and the surrounding harbour area with an emphasis on the city’s socially-deprived periphery and the infamous red light district of Strait Street which he regularly frequented.

What started as a photo essay of the derelict buildings of the city and the dwindling activity in Strait Street would evolve into an epic documentation of Valletta spanning 29 years.

The collection consists of 192 images selected from thousands of negatives and was in part first exhibited in the Biennale of Photography in Paris (Mois de la Photo) in 1996 under the title La Valette et le Grand Port – Portrait d’une Capitale Maritime. In June 2000 the Bibliothèque Nationale de France acquired a selection of original prints for its permanent collections.

All the photographs in the exhibition are fine art silver gelatin printed from the original negatives by the photographer.

Vanishing Valletta, at St James Cavalier, Valletta runs until January 27.