Contemporary Art, the Archive and Curatorship: Possible Dialogues

Abstract

In recent years, a growing number of artists have been drawn to working with the documents and testimonies in archive collections to produce work that dialogs with historical events and the history of art itself. This article aims for an understanding of how and why a strand of contemporary art practice – or, more precisely, of present-day Brazilian art – has been exploring issues that traverse the archive and the act of archiving, and how that focus has impacted on museum practice. The article explores the theme of the archive and takes as its starting point the work of artists such as Rosângela Rennó and Mabé Bethônico, among others, and exhibitions hosted by contemporary art museums. Its five sections examine the concept of archive fever, archives and history, artists who work with archival material, archives and exhibitions, and archives and the contemporary art museum. The article concludes by looking at how this work has implications for the strategies adopted by collections and for archive management.