By Stephanie Syjuco, Nydia A Swaby, Nurul Huda Rashid, Abednego Trianto Kurniawan, Sajan Mani
This exhibition, titled ‘Archival Allergies’ — inspired by Derrida’s concept of ‘Archive Fever’ — critiques the ‘compulsive, repetitive, and nostalgic desire for the archive.’ It challenges us to approach these materials with ethics and care, urging a critical examination and reinterpretation of their contents. How can contemporary artists use this material to offer a more nuanced reading of history? How can their work bring to light the previously invisible and silenced stories of colonised people?
The five artists featured here present their ‘personal remedies’ to colonial archives and photography. Through acts of cutting, covering, annotating, enlarging, and juxtaposing, they reveal the ‘potential histories’ that lie within these collections — not just what was recorded, but also what was omitted, silenced, or rendered invisible. Their works provide ways towards healing and restorative justice. Working with diverse archives around the world from various former empires, including the American, British, and Dutch, their works are displayed alongside archival materials from the National Archives of Singapore.
Venue: National Library, Singapore (Level 9), 100 Victoria Street, Singapore 188064
When: 18 Oct - 24 Nov 2024, 10am - 9pm
By: Singapore International Photography Festival (SIPF)
