Archivorum Ark is a program initiated by Archivorum, in partnership with Fondazione Antonio Ratti and Galleria Continua, for the 2023–2025 cycle, and supported by Creative Europe. It provides postgraduate students with the opportunity to engage in dialogue with artists Babs Haenen, Belén Uriel, and Nil Yalter.
These collaborations have focused on developing comprehensive digital archives that not only preserve but also explore the artists’ legacies. The project treats the archive as a living tool, fostering intergenerational exchange and sharing outcomes through digital platforms and critical publications. Across the past two years, it has unfolded through talks, collective explorations, study days, and a weekly blog documenting students’ methodologies and archival practices.
Throughout the project, Archivorum Ark developed a structured programme combining archival work, research, education, and public engagement. The core activities focused on the inventorying, digitisation, and documentation of selected bodies of work by the participating artists, leading to the creation of comprehensive digital archives.
Postgraduate researchers worked closely with the artists, contributing both to the technical development of the archives and to their critical interpretation. Their work results in three critical publications, alongside continuous methodological reflection shared through a weekly public blog.
The project unfolded through study days, conferences, workshops, and public events held across several European cities, creating spaces for dialogue among artists, researchers, students, and wider publics. Educational workshops further translated archival practices into accessible formats for younger audiences, reinforcing the project’s pedagogical dimension.
Archivorum Ark has activated important artistic legacies through publicly accessible digital archives, while proposing innovative, process-based approaches that consider the archive as a dynamic tool rather than a static repository. For postgraduate participants, the project strengthened research, archival, and professional skills through hands-on, collaborative work within an international context. Partner institutions expanded their capacities in digital heritage management, interdisciplinary research, and European cooperation.
The project reached diverse audiences through public events, educational activities, digital platforms, and publications, increasing awareness of contemporary artistic archives and their relevance for research and education. In the longer term, Archivorum Ark is expected to continue its impact through its digital platforms, publications, and methodological models, which offer transferable frameworks for future archival and cultural initiatives.
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