One of the core purposes of archives is preserving the legacy of a person, especially within artists’ archives. The archive defines how the artist is remembered, and how their art is used in the future. However, there are many complications in preserving this legacy, from legal issues to controlled vocabularies.
For INFO-697: Artists’ Archives in Rome/New York, we spent our spring break in Rome, observing how artist foundations, art museums, and governmental institutions preserved art-based archives. These intuitions presented Italian best practices in archival description, access, and exhibitions. Yet, our biggest takeaway was the differing approaches to artistic legacy.
Join us in discovering the legacies preserved at the unique archives of artist Franco Angeli, the MAXXI (National Museum of 21st Century Arts), and photographer Elisabetta Catalano.
Read more about our time in Italy here!