The round table discussion The Space of the Archive: How History is Written will focus on the archival document as the point of departure for the interpretation of historical events and for changing established narratives.
The discussion will draw on archives containing materials on the history of Russian art of the second half of the twentieth century. Many were collected by artists, curators, gallery owners, critics and others active on the art scene, which makes each archive not just a group of documents on a particular subject, but a space for the artistic community to reflect on itself. This aspect has determined the structure of these archives, the nature of the materials included, and the means of documentation of events, stories, and biographies, often having an effect on further research work based on these them.
Every researcher’s encounter with such archives raises the questions that will be discussed at this round table. How do we remain unbiased when faced with the need to overcome the narrative suggested by the archive itself? What opportunities for interpretation are offered by unusual archival materials? How can interaction with forgotten archives transform our idea of historical events? Archivists, researchers, and curators from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Smolensk and Yekaterinburg will share their experiences.