about
*
about *
TO\gather\WARDS_archives
Archives are inherently political spaces. National states use them to impose a linear identity on their subjects. This excludes many people who do not fit the state's agenda. Much knowledge is silenced, erased or extremely difficult to find in archives, but institutional change can be a slow and draining process.
This is why I believe that we simply need to create our own archives. Archives that do not follow racist, sexist, ableist, classist or queerphobic agendas. I want archives to be utopian spaces where communities can come together, reflect on their histories, share knowledges, and process their emotions. By providing present-day views of the past and I hope to influence the future of remembrance cultures.
In workshops with activists, I would like to help set up mini-archives. These archives will be led, organised, and structured by the activists themselves. My role will be to provide archival expertise, as well as document and evaluate the process.
“My political vision is
of a multiverse of archives that cannot be ignored by mainstream remembrance cultures
to make activism more sustainable
future activists building upon the former work, rather than starting from scratch”
How will
the process
of creating
your archive
look like?
no extraction, no institutional takeover: the archive belongs to you
you decide what is kept, how it is described, and who gets access
analogue, digital, or hybrid
developed together in collaborative, low-threshold workshops
materials can include anything you deem valuable: banners, flyers, social media posts, voice notes, videos, texts, and creative formats
awareness-sensitive process with care, safety, and accessibility in mind
archiving as a political tool against the hostile takeover of history
stop starting from zero and carry your knowledge forward
build memory as resistance against misrepresentation or erasure
Elio (they/them)
My passion is archives. I first set foot in one in 2017 when I started working for the Filmmuseum in Potsdam, Germany. Since then, I have fallen in love with all the hidden stories materialised in the most peculiar of objects. I studied the Restoration and Conservation of Audiovisual Heritage, learning the importance of preserving histories. I finished my Bachelor's degree with questions about which stories we tell and which we don't. In my Master's programme in Museums Management and Communication, I focused on topics such as diversity, decolonisation, and queerness. For my Master's thesis, I am on a quest to archive marginalised knowledge, specifically that of activists. My aim is to create archives that inform fellow activists about their histories and enable them to use this knowledge to strengthen future activism.
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Advanced Training
Film and Immersive Media in Remembrance Work
at Film University Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF
Advanced Training
VR and AR in the Education of the History of Nationalsocialism
at Film University Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF
Course
Combining Criticism of Anti-Semitism and Racism – Professional Support for Educational Work
by IDA e.V.
QUALIFICATIONS
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Course
Decolonial Perspectives in the Museum Castle Charlottenburg
by Patricia Vester
Course
Diversity-Trainings
at University of Applied Sciences (HTW Berlin) and SAWA Museum Studies Program
Advanced Training
by Sharjah Museums Authority, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Goethe-Institute Gulf Region and University of Applied Sciences Berlin (HTW)