Artists and Their Afterlives Perspectives on the Value of Archival Material

Join us for a compelling conversation as a curator, a collector of archives, and an artist share their perspectives on the importance of artists’ archives and how they inform exhibition-making and public understanding. The starting point for the conversation will be the new exhibition “Felix Gonzalez–Torres: Always to Return,” co–organized by the National Portrait Gallery and the Archives of American Art.

The conversation will begin with a discussion of topics that emerged doing archival research for the Felix Gonzalez-Torres exhibition. It will continue with an overview of contemporary collecting at the Archives of American Art and extend into a closer look at archive-based projects spearheaded by an artist who works in Washington, D.C., and London.

Image Credit: “Untitled” (America) (1994), Twelve parts, each: 42 light bulbs, waterproof rubber light sockets, and waterproof electrical cord. Overall dimensions vary with installation. Copyright Estate Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Courtesy Felix Gonzalez-Torres Foundation.

Host or Publisher National Portrait Gallery