‍ARCHIVES VERSUS ARTISTS

For centuries, archives have been seen as mere repositories of heritage, but in the last two decades, this perception has shifted. Traditionally, archiving, a practice dating back to antiquity, was about preserving and categorizing documents. These spaces, often considered mundane, were typically frequented by individuals researching family histories, with artists rarely venturing into their quiet corridors. However, the recent years have seen a transformation in how archives are viewed and utilized. Archival institutions start to recognize their role in fostering this creative exploration. This shift opts the question: why have archives become a focal point for a different audience and usage?

One key driver is the digital revolution. With arts and heritage institutions digitizing their collections, archives have become more accessible than ever. This digital shift means that records, images, videos, and documents are just a click away, providing a rich wellspring of inspiration for today's artists. This newfound accessibility allows creatives to delve deep into databases, uncovering intriguing and inspirational materials. By curating collections to attract artists and adding archival materials to the conventional palette of artistic resources, they open doors to novel creative processes. As archives continue to break this new digital ground, the lines between history and art blur, heralding a new era of artistic expression rooted in the rich soil of our collective past.

What draws artists into the archives? Art historian Hal Foster's 2004 essay "The Archival Impulse" explains that artists, with their inherent critical view of the world, are naturally drawn to find new truths. They seek to uncover new narratives and reinterpret history from creative standpoints, challenging established narratives. Hall categorizes archival art as a genre that brings historical, often forgotten or displaced, information into physical form. Archives offer unique, strange, and beautiful sources that can transform into all types of art - from films to collages and installations. This engagement with archival materials isn't limited to artists. Graphic designers and creatives across various, also more commercial fields, are also turning to the past for inspiration. This widespread interest in history is partly driven by nostalgia, a powerful cultural force. Nostalgia plays a dual role in creative endeavors: it's both an inspiration source and a tool for evoking collective memories. For instance, graphic designers might infuse vintage elements into modern designs, and filmmakers might adopt storytelling techniques from classic cinema.

HOW TO ACCESS AN ARCHIVE ARTISTICALLY?

The archive in itself is a pretty overwhelming world, if you don’t know how to look. Historians are trained to access archives - creatives not really, at least not yet. Accessing materials - both digital and in the archive - involves a nuanced understanding of various factors, including historical periods, types of materials, and copyright considerations. To address this challenge, initiatives that bridge the gap between archives and creatives have emerged. Workshops, online resources, and collaborations between archives and creative communities contribute to demystifying the archive and making it a more welcoming space for exploration. The first archive in the Netherlands that takes that role seriously is Beeld & Geluid, the leading institution in cultural heritage and creative collaboration. The archive has been actively engaging with creators from diverse disciplines since 2016. Their collaboration extends across institutes, partners, creative communities, and other cultural organizations, breathing new life into audiovisual archives for artistic creations, research, and education. The Beeld & Geluid collection is publicly accessible for creative reuse through this platform. Additionally, the RE:VIVE initiative and record studio brings archives and artists together.

Two years ago, the creative team of the archive started organizing REMIX Fest, an annual event where filmmakers, photographers, and artists across various disciplines were invited to meet the national archives of Sound & Vision. This unique event aimed to reinvigorate and make accessible the vast troves of archival collections to a broader and younger audience. The annual event invites film and art academy students to learn about integration of audiovisual archives into creative projects. For the edition of 2023, we welcomed students from Netherlands Film Academy, St. Joost School of Art & Design, Rijksakademie van beeldende kunsten, De Ateliers, Reinwardt Academie, Royal Academy of Art, The Hague | Koninklijke Academie van Beeldende Kunsten (KABK), Academie Minerva Design en Gerrit Rietveld Academie, Amsterdam.

As the role of archive changes, so does the role of people working in it. Unique to this event was the efforts of the Beeld & Geluid team within the event and the way they leveraged their role ass archivists of Beeld & Geluid - serving as guides in how to navigate through the archive as an artist and the diverse ways they can use the materials. The day was packed with masterclasses, workshops, showcases, and panel discussions, covering topics ranging from copyright, AI and research methodologies to the art of digital storytelling. By marrying archival and artistic methods, they not only preserve the past but also instigate contemporary creative processes. Another highlight was a series of artist talks offering both practical guidance and inspiration on leveraging media archives for artistic expression. Artist Jaya Pelupessy who explores the status of photography through his work, focuses on the processes leading to the creation of autonomous images, examining how the visibility of these processes can either strengthen, invalidate, or generate new, independent visuals. His project 'Absent Statue' delves into global power structures, particularly moments when 'power' is physically moved. Additionally, the artist collective ANTIWARCOALITION.ART was featured. This open online platform collects, shares, and distributes anti-war statements from artists worldwide, creating an archive that offers vast opportunities for research and artistic exploration.