Theories of the Archive
Readings
- Diana Taylor, "Save As... Knowledge and Transmission in the Age of Digital Technologies"
- Jacques Derrida, excerpt from Archive Fever
- Overview of various theories of the archive (Jacques Derrida, Ann Stoler, Ann Cvetkovich, Michel Foucault, Wolfgang Ernst, etc.)
Brainstorming "the archive"
In our first session we began by brainstorming and thinking about the definition of the archive. We came up with thoughts and questions that came to mind regarding our first encounters and ideas surrounding the archive.Through the course of this tutorial we will investigate and collaborate on what the archive is, what it means, the different kinds of archives are and so much more.
What do the word archive mean to you? Embark on a journey with us as we travel through the archives and discover all things archive.
Themes
- Access
- Preservation
- Location
- Memory
- Technology
- Embodiment
- Presence/Absence
The concept of the archive shelters in itself, of course, this memory of the name arkhe. But it also shelters itself from this memory which it shelters: which comes down to saying also that it forgets it. - Jacques Derrida
Key Questions
- What is an archive?
- Why do we live in what Taylor calls "the so-called 'era of the archive'"?
- Who are archives for?
- What are some examples of different kinds of archives?
- What are the limits to an archive, whether physical, or figurative?
- What are the differences and similarities between institutional/historical/personal/community archives?
- What responsibility is in the hands of those creating the archive? How can the archives serve the future?
