'An event in time can have a different sort of value as it ages. If I
fall in love with somebody today, that's something that can never be
reproduced in the same way again. But I'm still going to write about it
in my diary.
And regardless, I think the ephemerality in the end trumps any efforts
of the artist, archivist, curator, theoretician,
email-list-participant, whatever. If you make an ephemeral work, then
it's going to be ephemeral no matter what some museum or historian
tries to do with it.'
Hi
I think we're almost in some agreement here - what you're describing
above is archiving your impressions of an event that has escaped. I'm
happy with that - I just want the event itself to have the possibility
to escape and when that means a work rather than an event I'd like to
see the possibility that someone will decide it's not right to archive
it...
i wonder if the archivists can envisage something they wouldn't
archive? it does seem a bit depressing to hit this brick wall where
everything can and will be archived where possible. i still think there
is an unhealthy dimension to this archvial reflex and while I can
rationally understand all the arguments put forward I still feel there
could be a much more philosopical attitude to the future. you're right
- the future fucks you and i guess i see some of these archives at the
top of the queue ... archiving the ephemeral can also suggest being so
busy with the job that you don't grasp the point of the work being
archived or aren't prepared to let it take it's chances on it's own
terms
i'd fight for the right to record whatever you want but sometimes it's
also nice not to keep a diary and not to record a love affair and that
can be just as important a gesture
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