While updating Nil Yalter's archive inventory this week, I was struck by an aspect of my archiving project that I had perhaps never fully considered, or else had neglected until now: the crucial role that art galleries play in an artist’s archival legacy. I must admit, without the collaboration of The Gallerist, Ab-Anbar Gallery, and the websites of several galleries that have exhibited Nil's works – Hubert Winter Gallery comes to mind – my database would not be what it is today. Given how well you now know Nil's packed schedule and the limited time we’ve had together these past months…it’s clear that galleries, encouraged by Archivorum’s initiative and eager to collaborate, have been invaluable allies.
Although primarily associated with the promotion and sale of artworks, art galleries hold a vital place in the archiving and preservation of artists' work. For many of them, exhibiting artworks is only part of their role; they actively contribute to the memory of artistic production, embedding these works within documented, accessible, and transmissible narratives essential not only to art history but also to the art market and research. This is precisely the approach taken by The Gallerist, an Istanbul gallery that has represented Nil Yalter for several years, meticulously building a detailed record of her works and exhibitions over time.
Historically, galleries have served as mediators by offering artists public visibility, often during periods when institutional success was out of reach for many. Today, many continue this mission by meticulously documenting each exhibition with photographs, catalogues, press kits, reviews, and more. This documentation creates tangible traces of artists’ development, allowing us to track their creative trajectories and situate them within a visual and theoretical continuity.
It’s fair to say that if galleries devote so much time to data collection and preservation, it is less for archival purposes per se than to ensure the traceability of works, crucial for establishing provenance and confirming “authenticity.” Nonetheless, for art historians, gallery archives are equally valuable, offering a body of material through which to explore issues of reception, professional networks, and exhibition contexts. These archives become the material for a contemporary archaeology of art, providing contextual elements that enrich the interpretation of works and open perspectives on the cultural and social dimensions of artistic practices. In archiving and organizing this data, galleries create an active, consultable, and interrogable memory, contributing directly to current and future research fields.
Yet, the challenge of contemporary archiving lies in its digitalization. With the rise of online databases, galleries must now ensure the longevity of formats and the compatibility of metadata over the long term. This shift to digital enhances accessibility but also demands standardization and meticulous documentation management to guarantee that these archives will continue to serve their purpose for decades to come. As archivists, this is a question that concerns us at every turn of the project.
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