Memory, Identity, and the Archival Paradigm

As ‘alternative facts’ proliferate, archive-based evidence is valued for its ability to document the histories and perspectives of diverse peoples, cultures, and movements. The inter-relationship of archives, memory, and identity was predicated on theories of power relations in archives. Today, archives are increasingly considered “memory prostheses.” Audiovisual archives have inherently problematized these theories due to issues of provenance. This class questions the archival paradigm as it relates to community, celebration, reclamation of identities, artistic re-use of archives, and social activism. Students are encouraged to imagine new paths of access to media archives and to create new works using archival materials.