Exhibition recalls forgotten Maltese migration to Tunisia, as seen by one family

The tumultuous journey of a family from Malta to Tunis to Marseille that started a century ago is the subject of an exhibition currently on at Spazju Kreattiv, in Valletta. It is told through the eyes of a fourth-generation member of the family via photos, mementos, original documents and audiovisual means. “The exhibition is based on a true story, my family’s story, from my father’s side,” French artist Katel Delia says.  “My grandfather was born in Żejtun. His complex journey of migration started when he was six years old, when his parents decided to move to Tunisia with their children in the hope of finding a better life. This was one century ago. There, they found themselves in some difficulties and asked for repatriation to Malta.  "However, a year later, my bużnanna (great-grandmother) went back to Tunisia with her children while her husband stayed in Malta,” she relates. They opened a shop there and all seemed well until trouble started brewing a few years after Tunisia acquired independence.  “The political situation was hostile to foreigners. My family was pushed to leave Tunisia. In 1961, my grandfather decided to return to Malta with his four children, my father...