Archives in Practice by O. Jaques, C. Ruth, M. Surtmann

Who or what carries, develops and transmits knowledge when it comes to performance and socially engaged art? An institution? An archive? A body? A collective body? A teacher? A website? A hard-drive? A box? ARCHIVES IN PRACTICE investigates methods for how to better include intersubjective and embodied knowledge inside archival practice. The research is especially devoted to socially engaged performance art whose participatory and often delicate practice is difficult to document. The methods of performative archiving will be based on two case studies in collaboration with APL - Angewandte Performance Laboratory and Raw Matters. Rather than a well organised storage we imagine the archive as a vibrant memory field. A place where concentrates (Konzentrate) of practice can be planted and where we activate and also continue the traces and artistic thinking of our peers. The idea of a concentrate has its roots in the three main researchers transdisciplinary and continuously developing performative archival practices; such as the Scenario Method – whereby past events can be artistically examined and recreated (Performatorium) and Living Documents – where performing in a loop is explored as a live documentation format (Ruth & Grünbühel). Through a concluding dialogue with archivists the methods of concentrates as a performative archiving practice will be evaluated and its compatibility with traditional archival logics will be tested. The long term aim is to support horizontal and sustainable transmission of knowledge developed within performative practice and explore how institutions and art educations, such as the University of Applied Arts can better include social and embodied knowledge in its ongoing programming and curriculum.

I invite you to go back in your memory to the time of your sharing on Friday. Once you feel that you have this situation more or less clear in your mind: look for three specific moments during your sharing that you remember. Tip: Look for moments that you can recognise as important for your creative development. Three moments that might already touch for you something you’re after or alternatively a moment that made you realise something.

1A What moments do you remember? Please name and describe the three moments here in the chat.

Now I suggest that you continue with your first memory. I propose this cause I think this suits for the nexts questions that will come that are about going deeper in documenting the circumstances of that memory. If you feel more curious to dig into one of the others or additionally please feel free to change or write additionally about that moment.

2 Describe the spatial situation. What do you see? What do you hear? What do you smell? (In that moment)

3 Describe what you are busy with. How does it feel? What is your body doing? What are you thinking?

4 In which way was this moment important for your creative process? What can you bring with you from this moment to the rest of your investigation?