Institut des Archives Sauvages at Villa Arson Explores Artistic Archiving

The exhibition 'Institut des archives sauvages' at Villa Arson in Nice, running from February 17 to May 28, 2012, reconsiders artistic practices related to archives. It focuses on how forms of knowledge, collection, and organization challenge established classification structures. The heterogeneous works grouped under the concept of 'archive sauvage' point to possible openings in archiving operations and typologies. The exhibition questions what becomes of the archive when artworks no longer provide access to documents but instead question the construction, uses, and functions of archives. Founded by Jean-Michel Baconnier, Christophe Kihm, Éric Mangion, Florence Ostende, and Marie Sacconi, the Institute's reflections follow research primarily funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation. The exhibition presents around fifty works, including Mike Kelley's 'A Fax Transmission from: Oct. 21, 1986, 1:07 p.m.' (1986-2004), Matt Mullican's 'Educational Tool' (2008), Tamara de Wehr & Joshua Burgr's 'Time Machine' (2012), Eva Aeppli's 'Livres de vie', Christoph Keller's 'Encyclopaedia Cinematographica' (2001), Julien Prévieux's 'What Shall We Do Next?' (2007-2011), and Franz Erhard Walther's '1 Werksatz' (1963-1969). The exhibition articulates different levels of experience—daily life, social and geographical territories, the workplace, and mental space—identifying new objects of knowledge and questioning why scientific institutions ignore certain forms of knowledge.