https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/8102 2026-07-18T23:19:42Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/148018 Title: Beyond binaries : non-heteronormative vignettes in school workbooks Authors: Cassar, Joanne Abstract: The use of vignettes in school workbooks is usually intended to provide an effective way for students to think about real-life situations or historical events, and better understand their significance. This paper presents a study that outlines a content analysis of vignettes that are part of three workbooks, which are currently being used in secondary schools in Malta for the subject Personal, Social and Career Development for students aged 14-16 years. In particular, the study focuses on vignettes that are not heteronormative and pays attention to how LGBTQI+ individuals are portrayed or made absent within the brief narratives. The vignettes selected for the study, depict examples of life situations, aimed as a reflexive tool for students to discuss issues revolving around dating, connection, sexual consent, harassment and sexting among others. These situations often imply some kind of decision making that involves a transition, such as experiencing sex for the first time or initiating casual sex. The study shows that non-heteronormative vignettes are well-represented in the corpus of the workbooks’ vignettes. The study argues that vignettes could be useful in linking abstract and complex concepts associated with intimate relationships, sexuality and love with tangible experiences. Their use could also facilitate reflexivity through classroom discussion about the narratives depicting particular scenarios and situations. The study posits that school workbooks could be an effective tool for students to gain more self-awareness. 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/147776 Title: The prehistoric islandscape Authors: Grima, Reuben Abstract: The story of discovery, exploitation and settlement of small islands by humans is impossible to separate from that of the exploration, and to some extent the mastery, of the seas around them. The group of islands that form Malta was no exception. By the time the first known Neolithic inhabitants were settled in Malta, sometime around 5,000 BC, rising sea-levels had already given the Maltese archipelago a configuration not very different from the one we know today. Over the preceding 10,000 years or so, progressive warming and the consequent melting of the ice-caps had resulted in dramatic rises in sea-level, which flooded vast areas between Malta and Sicily, widening the channel between the two to almost the width we are familiar with today. Although no firm evidence has yet been found of human presence on Malta during this earlier period, it is well-attested in Sicily, and the possibility that communities that hunted, gathered, fished and foraged reached Malta during this time of rapid sea-level change remains a plausible one. Here the story is taken up from shortly before 5,000 BC, with the first firm evidence of human settlement of the Maltese islands. [extract] 2011-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/147558 Title: Hidden narratives : the role of archival exploration in decoding Liu Kang’s painting practice Authors: Lizun, Damian Abstract: This article examines the critical role of archival exploration in decoding the painting practice of a modern Singaporean artist Liu Kang (1911–2004). Given Liu Kang’s undocumented artistic process and the absence of preserved paint tubes or technical notes, the research methodology combined a wide range of primary and secondary archival records with previous analytical investigations of his paintings. By examining works from the National Gallery Singapore and the Liu family collections created between 1927 and 1999, the research deduced the brands and types of materials he used. Hence, this article highlights the crucial and complementary role of diverse archival sources in technical art research. Consequently, primary archival sources, such as interviews with the artist, studio photographs and a TV documentary, provided evidence of his tools and methods. These were cross‑referenced with secondary sources, including colourmen printed advertisements, trade directories and colourmen catalogues, which established the availability of art supplies in Shanghai, Paris, and Singapore throughout his career. Ultimately, these diverse archival sources enriched our understanding of Liu Kang’s painting practice. They connected the historical context of his artistic activities with the technical data, allowing the research to piece together narratives that might otherwise have remained obscured. 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/146878 Title: The chapel at Palazzo de la Salle and its painted decoration : findings from the 2016-2019 conservation project Authors: Porter, Jennifer; Pasian, Chiara; De Angelis, Roberta Abstract: This paper presents findings from the 2016–2019 conservation project of the domestic chapel inside Palazzo de La Salle, Valletta, carried out by the Department of Conservation and Built Heritage at the University of Malta. The project stabilized and analyzed two previously known oil-on-stone decorative schemes: the early-to-mid 17th-century Altar Surround and the Baroque Frieze (dated via newly discovered heraldry to 1731–1736). Conservation interventions also uncovered two entirely hidden painted elements: a decorated wooden ceiling cornice and a lower illusionistic architectural architectural dado program. Material analysis revealed advanced oil-on-stone technical execution alongside extensive pigment alteration over time (specifically smalt and arsenic sulphides), dramatically changing the original aesthetic reading of the room. 2023-01-01T00:00:00Z