Opening the Archive

How can we approach archives in a creative way? How can the legacy of certain artefacts be challenged? What archival traces from past to present need to be re-examined? What stories do archives contain and whose are absent from them?

We were thrilled to be part of the Bauhaus Spring School 2024 with our art and design course Opening the Archive: hidden narratives of artefacts reinterpreted creatively. Over a period of four weeks, students were introduced to the concepts of archiving and collecting, exploring its themes, and recognising its gaps and limitations. Inspired by the strategies of the Bibliothek der Kunstler*innen, Weimar, students discovered various types of existing archives, libraries and museums as well as the artistic practices that open them out in creative ways. After collaboratively applying these methods, students later showcased their experiments in a group exhibition that shed light on overlooked narratives and historical representations.

The Bauhaus Spring School is an international short-term programme in a blended format (online/present) for students of the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar and students of its partner universities. It offers blended courses in the focus areas of art, technology, architecture and languages.