An Archival Impulse

Twenty Years Later

Authors

  • Rita Cêpa IHA (NOVA FCSH) / IN2PAST

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15756946

Keywords:

Archival impulse, Contemporary Art, Dataism, Digital tools, Virtualization

Abstract

This year [2024] marks the 20th anniversary of An Archival Impulse. In it, Hal Foster introduces the artist-as-archivist, noting that it has gained a renowned impetus as a critical response to the current saturation of stimuli and the search for new ways of thinking on past, present, and future.

At one point, he suggests that the ideal medium for archive-based art might be the web - yet emphasising that most artists still prioritise materiality and human interpretation over complete virtualisation and automation. We mustn’t forget that Foster referred to coeval artists and that, nowadays, his observations no longer fully capture the current landscape. Increasingly, artists are making fruitful use of digital tools, using the internet, or taking advantage of machine learning algorithms to process vast datasets. This raises questions about whether the fundamental principles of archival art have changed, the challenges its facing, and the insights these emerging practices can provide. This paper will reflect on this discrete category expansion.

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Author Biography

Rita Cêpa, IHA (NOVA FCSH) / IN2PAST

Rita Cêpa is a PhD Candidate in Contemporary Art History (FCSH). She has a BA and an MA in Painting (FBAUL) and three Postgraduate Degrees: Heritage, Management and Participation (FCSH), Art Curatorship (FCSH) and Photography & New Media (IADE). She also completed an Executive Program in Management and Museology (CATÓLICA-LISBON SBE/APOM) and a Course about Inclusive Museological Practices (ICOM). She’s part of CIEBA-FBAUL, IHA-FCSH/IN2PAST, the DGARTES Group of Consultants and Experts and the Board of Curators of UmbigoLAB. Previously, she founded VENI VIDI, was a Research Fellow (ROSSIO/FCSH, FCG, Arquivo.pt), worked at Joana Vasconcelos Studio, FEA Lisboa and MAAT.

References

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Published

01.07.2025

How to Cite

Cêpa, R. (2025). An Archival Impulse: Twenty Years Later. Archivo Papers, 5, 25–43. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15756946