Sasha Huber, Tailoring Freedom – Jack and Drana, 2022. Metal staples on photograph on wood, 97 x 69 cm. Courtesy the artist. Commissioned by The Power Plant, Toronto; Autograph, London; Turku Art Museum, Finland; and Kunstinstituut Melly, Rotterdam, 2022. Original images courtesy the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University (Jack, 35- 5-10/53043; Drana, 35-5-10/53041).

How can creative practices disrupt power structures within the archive? Autograph and Parse Journal present a new symposium examining strategies and methodologies to rethink, reimagine and reshape the histories embedded in archival collections.

The symposium will examine how archival materials can be reactivated through diverse perspectives and disciplines, challenging dominant narratives. With a focus on decolonial and queer methodologies, this symposium will invite discussion on approaches that encourage a continual re-engagement with archives.

Encounters: Art, Power and Archives will highlight a broad range of voices, including artistic and scholarly research, creative and social projects, and provocations.

Hosted in Autograph’s galleries, the symposium will take place surrounded by exhibitions underscoring the critical role of archives. Abi Morocco Photos: Spirit of Lagos is the first display of remarkable portraits from 1970s Lagos, possible through the ongoing efforts of the Lagos Studio Archives project, which aims to preserve and present the legacy of Nigerian studio photography. You will also see Rotimi Fani-Kayode: Staging Desire, the culmination of meticulous research into the artist’s archives, presenting never-before-seen works.

To find out more and to book a place please go to the direct link.