The politics of access within archiving as artistic praxis

HAM Helsinki Art Museum

Thursday 17.8.2023 at 18:00 in HAM

Agonistic Intelligence/s (or another AI/s) is a Summer School by the Museum of Impossible Forms (MIF) in partnership with Helsinki Art Museum (HAM) for Helsinki Biennial 2023. It is curated by Ali Akbar Mehta. 

Agonistic Intelligence/s (or another AI/s) is a gathering of invited provocateurs, guest speakers, and participants to form a research-led working group that engages with a shortlisted selection of the HAM art collection as a key focal node and as an archival site of inquiry. The working group convenes for an intensive 6-day period during the Helsinki Biennale 2023, from August 14-19, 2023, at HAM Helsinki Art Museum, with open-to-public evening lectures and discussion programs.

 

abstract

How does an archive live up to its own values and aims in regard to collecting and collection management, especially in relation to access? The digitization of archives and the massive use of the Internet have potentially increased access to the archive and its contents, as well as facilitated the usage of information in the archive.

However, creating access doesn’t necessarily mean that records become accessible. The tension between access and accessibility will be addressed by taking up three challenges that archival organisations are confronted with, but which often remain implicit: 1. standardization as a pre-condition for understandable exchange of information; 2. contextualization as a way to make sense of data; 3. collaboration as a means to involve users.

Rather than focusing on the challenges within archival institutions, and in an attempt to appreciate the tension, in her presentation Annet Decker will focus on archival alternatives that may lead to surprising or new insights when considering what it means to provide access.