Call for Papers. VAD 11. The archives

The original sense of the archive lies in the Greek term 'arkheîon,' a word that referred to the residence of the archons who had the right to interpret the documents entrusted to their care from their position of authority. However, Foucault's archaeological exploration of knowledge in the early days of postmodernity pointed out that archives ceased to be confined to a physical space and assumed an abstract condition as a transformative device for statements and discourses. Moreover, the changes in the order and dynamics of the archive have been accentuated by new digital technologies, as noted by Wolfgang Ernst, impacting how knowledge is produced and consumed and consequently reshaping power structures.

So, what should we preserve if we assimilate the archive as a 'repository of meanings,' as Eric Ketelaar puts it?

Emotion, expectations, and uncertainty overwhelm us as we approach architecture archives, eager to discover original and unpublished documentation for our research. Archives, collections, and repositories have been and continue to be an endless source of exploration. Whether physical or digital (dematerialized), they serve as a space for diverse testimonies and materials that connect with the corporeality of architecture itself, turning it into a document. Archives allow us to understand the past from multiple perspectives, not only architectural, urbanistic, or landscape-oriented but also cultural, social, and economic, as Manuel Blanco asserted in the 2004 International Congress of Architecture Archives. Above all, they provide an opportunity to (re)think or manage (dis)memories that challenge hegemonic narratives.

In this regard, for instance, Milka Bliznakov initiated pioneering work by establishing the International Archive of Women in Architecture (IAWA) in 1985, realizing the limited diffusion and reluctance of women architects to promote their achievements. Other archives, more locally situated, include Archivo Nuestras Arquitectas (ANA) in Argentina, Pioneering Women of American Architecture (PWoAA) in the U.S., or NAM, Navegando Arquitecturas de Mujer, in Spain, to name just a few. There are also those focused on singular authorships, mainly housed in professional offices, and in some cases, in private and/or public institutions. Perhaps, what is not found in them, the gaps, omissions, similarly fuel our curiosity and inspire new investigations.

What is preserved, what is dismissed, and why?

Curator and art critic Hans Ulrich Obrist states that creating an archive is a way to generate knowledge and inevitably a way to perceive the world. This call is an invitation to ponder how archives can be reconstructed, deconstructed, appropriated, or curated. It encourages us to approach stories, testimonies, works, legacies, and funds that have not been disseminated or interpreted, and to do so from new feminist, activist, and dissident perspectives. It's a call to unveil archives addressing gender and otherness critically—a chance to speculate about them by questioning absences in historiographical narratives, investigating architects who have shaped our environment, delving into non-canonical works that have transformed contexts, and exploring architectural work processes or curatorial practices that may have been overlooked in certain circles.

With this spirit, this issue seeks to inquire about absent, silent, or invisible archives, but also about archival policies and even the role of communication in architectural archives.

Submissions rules.
Check the SUBMISSIONS section to find out the procedure to follow to send the documentation.

Calendar.
Opening reception of articles: Febrero 1, 2024.
Deadline for receipt of articles: Abril 30, 2024.
You can check the calendar in the ANNOUNCEMENT section.

Web.
All the information web.

Issue coordinated by Ana Gilsanz.