The (Im)possibility of Art Archives: Theories and Experience in/from Asia (Contemporary East Asian Visual Cultures, Societies and Politics)

This edited volume aims to fill the gap in the research, juxtaposition, and focused discussions in the existing literature on art archives in Asia. Most of the archives included in the book are independent and initiated by individuals, folk groups, or non-profit organizations. In this book, one can trace the dynamics and selfgenerative capacity in this particular historical and cultural milieu through these "alternative" archives and through the practices of artists and curators who apply their specific understanding of archive to their works. Many chapters resonate with each other in that they capture the experiences shared by many places in Asia. Those experiences could have resulted from the encounter with the Western idea of archive, the influence of the colonial experience, or a memory crisis triggered by the rapid transformation of media, and may serve as a basis for producing archive theories in/from Asia. The book provides an opportunity for the archives in Asia and those who work around them to recognize one another, understand what their colleagues in archival work do, how they do it and what else there is for them to do. Lu Pan is Associate Professor at Department of Chinese History and Culture, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Introduction “Archive” (Lost) in the Chinese Language: Wenxian, Dang’an, or What Else? Can Asian Experience Generate Theories of Archive? References Contents Notes on Contributors List of Figures Accumulation and Creation: The Birth of Archive Diverse Voices of Japanese Modern and Contemporary Art: The Oral History Archives of Japanese Art The Founding of the Archives Methodology for Oral History Interviews Examples of Interviews Disseminating Oral Histories in Japan Materials for Future Use “Accumulation” and “Reward”: An Interview with Chen Tong on Video Bureau Re-visioning the Archives: On the Creation and Curation of Relational and Decolonial Visual Art Archives in Asia From Repository to Relational Platform: The Visual Art Archive Reconsidered Toward Relational Visual Art Archives in Asia Resisting Narrative: Archives, Exhibitions, and the Emergence of Anti-Hegemonic Asian Art Histories Futuring a Relational and Decolonial Visual Art Archive(s) in Asia Hijikata Tatsumi Archive—A Pioneering Dance Archive in Japan Introduction The Archival Experiment: The Genetic Archive Our Archive’s Principles and Aims Our Archive’s Features and Roles The Archive’s Various Activities Conclusion One-Man Archive: Koh Nguang How on the Possibilities of Archiving Singapore Art Beginning of Archiving in Singapore Alternative Art Histories and their Archiving Approach/Method Singapore Art Archive Project (SAAP) Exchanges between Singaporean and other Asian Artists Archive as Artwork Endless Archive in Limited Space, and the Climate Deconstruction and Recreation: Artist, Curator and Researcher on Archive Encountering Incompleteness: Archives, Institutions and Exhibition-Making References The Need of Art Archives in India Introduction Modernism in India: Art in the Post-Second World War The Need of Archive for Indian Modern Art The Timeless Plunge: The Ha Bik Chuen Archive From Personal Collection to Archive Atemporal Modified Books The Plunging Spike: Asia Art Archive (AAA) Archival Rhizome Bibliography Endless Documents: Chinese Contemporary Art and Curatorial Practices in Archives Archive and History Institutions and Exhibitions Archive: Theory and Practice The Eyes of Archives: How Contemporary Taiwanese Video Art Set Off a Revolt Regarding Japanese Colonial History Introduction Chen Chieh-Jen’s Realm of Reverberations Three Films from Kao Chung-Li’s Series Slide-Briefing Film Hsu Chia-Wei’s Series Industrial Research Institute of the Taiwan Governor-General’s Office Conclusion Expose: Archive of (by) Yutaka Matsuzawa Matsuzawa and His House in Suwa Expose—Diagram of Self-Archiving The Four Circles of the Diagram Circle One—Nirvana Circle Two—Bigakkō (美学校) Circle Three—DCCA (Data Center of Contemporary Art) Circle Four—‘X’ Free Art—Free Document—Archive ‘Expose ↔ Total Communication’ in the Internet Age The End of the Psi Room It Takes a Village: Archives Talk Back The Archive as Site of Meaning Mediation Unstable But Free-for-All Resource Dispersal as Survivalist Tactic Others, a Night in Tokyo, Coconut Forest and Tigers: Observations of a Pseudo-Tourist Introduction Prologue (Others) (A Night in Tokyo) Coconut Forest (Tiger) (Notes from the author) Muse(ing) the Archive, Archival/Exhibiting Turn Introduction Exhibiting Archives, Archival Exhibit Archival Turn, Archival Art Archiving Is to Keep, Exhibiting Is to Show Retrieval, Restoration, and Predicament Objects, Memories and Records in Wartime Section One First Premise Second Premise Second Section Regarding The Retrieval, Restoration, and Predicament Retrieval—Dialogue of the Documents Restoration—The Damaged Queen Victoria Statue and the Lost Blueprint Predicament—Post-War Problems and Public Auction Epilogue History as ‘Now’ and ‘in the Moment’ Toward Archiveology: Regarding Nguyen Trinh Thi’s Essay Films Works Cited The Public and Imagination: Archive as Self-Portrait of Community The Relationship Between Sendai Mediatheque’s Art Exhibitions and 3.11 Archives: A Case Study of “Record and Recalling: Walking on the House of Images” Introduction Exhibition Outline On “The House” Art Documentation Conclusion Rescuing Our Own Visual Heritage: Memoirs of a Taiwanese Folk Image Preservation Movement Introduction Is Archive Neutral? Why Is Rescuing Ordinary People’s Visual Heritage a Social Movement? Wherefore a Counter-Attack? Who Is the Target? How Are Folk Images Defined? Which Are the Subjects of Rescue at the Workshops? What Curriculum Has Been Planned? Conclusion Archives Without Archivists: Notes on I’m Calling You—Rebirth (Reverse) of Humans and the Elephant Archives Without Archivists I’m Calling You Big Questions Out of Small Places Rebirth and Reverse Borrowing the Perspectives of Others References Multitude Asia: Huang Sun-quan on Articulation, Network, Asian Visual Archive About Multitude Asia (Excerpt from http://multitude.asia/about) The Birth and Purpose of Multitude Asia What Is the Multitude? Articulation and Network Praxis of Praxis: Collaborative Art Archiving, Going Beyond an Imagined Community Toward a Community in Process “Archive in Process,” Transforming and Growing Scenario of Coordination and Antagonism Conceived Through “Anti-archive” Villages, Communities and People Gathered On a Timeline: Broadcasting the Archive! Archiving the Commons: Struggle of Anti-gentrification and Anti-eviction Index