Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/874823
17 maltatoday, SUNDAY, 17 SEPTEMBER 2017 guishing marks". The port city of Marseille, in France, was a popular destination for seamen and waterfront work- ers at the time, who were search- ing for a better life, better oppor- tunities and seasonal work, during the early part of the 20th century. With this in mind, Rel-Ink will also provide viewers with an in- depth view into the little-known connection between Malta and Marseille, as the project also "re- searches these migratory links and points of engagement with Mar- seille", Portelli said. He described a couple of his fa- vourite examples, from the col- lection so far. These include "St George on horseback on the right forearm, Virgin Mary and a Scotch soldier on the left forearm", as well as the very first Maltese national they encoun- tered at Marseille, who had a "Buste de femme as a descrip- tion of the tattoo he carried". Portelli is convinced that being given the opportunity to listen to these elderly individuals describ- ing their own stories in deep de- tail is what has greatly enriched the project's content. Rel-Ink is supported by the Malta Arts Fund and Arts Coun- cil Malta and also owes thanks to a number of people who have supported the concept from birth to fruition, including Prof Milena Dobreva, the Malta Maritime Museum curator Liam Gauci and Maria Micallef, Dr Josianne Cutajar, Dr Ronald Fiorentino from the St Vincent de Paul Resi- dence and the National Archives of Malta. It is also important to note that Rel-Ink is a Citizen Science-based project, meaning that it is seeking the assistance of members of the public, in order to "preserve the historical narrative" and docu- ment real-life images and person- al accounts of tattooing in Malta, during the early 20th century. Her- itage Malta is inviting the public to come forward and submit their very own stories, memories and images related to Maltese tattoo art during the time. If you are over 75 years of age, have tattoos and would like to share your story, have elderly relatives or friends with tattoos, who would like to share theirs, or have any other visual documentation, such as photographs, drawings or any other tattoo-related objects from the period, contact 9946 7189 or send an email to relinknarratives@gmail.com Oldschool ink Skin-deep stories: Rel-Ink promises to explore tattoos and their significance in the day to day life of elderly Maltese males, aged 75 and over, who worked as labourers, seafarers and the like, at a time when the maritime sector was the mainstay in Malta's colonial economy The very first Maltese national Portelli encountered at Marseille, who had a "Buste de femme as a description of the tattoo he carried". Artist-curator Pierre Portelli