Archives of the Disappeared: Discipline and Method Amidst Ruin

Annihilation has become a primary instrument of states, targeting entire peoples, their lands, ecologies, institutions, cultures, economy and livelihoods. The central argument of this book is that annihilation presents us with fundamental questions about the nature, purpose, and ethics of archiving. Our objective is to present a series of conversations addressing the epistemological conundrums and ethical dilemmas involved in archiving when confronted with erasure. Through deep conceptual engagement between scholars and artists, we aim to offer novel methodological paths for thinking through archives that have been destroyed, lost, stolen, misappropriated, or tampered with. At the same time, we present creative, communal and scholarly practices of creating archives anew, emphasizing the labor and effort this entails. Through critically reflective comparative practices, the book will provide analytical tools for rethinking the value of documentation, evidence, testimony, memory, witnessing, and storytelling in contexts of annihilation.