An Archival Impulse by Hal Foster

Hal Fosterʼs essay, An Archival Impulse, discusses the pervasiveness and the avantegarde
manifestations of contemporary archival art. Traditionally archival artists categorized
historical information in an institutionalised museum format. Foster suggests that today,
even though archival works may differ in artistic characteristics, he points out that they
share ʻa notion of artistic practice as an idiosyncratic probingʼ into all aspects of society,
events and history. He believes that contemporary archives are informal and ʻramify like
weedsʼ through ʻmutations of connection and disconnectionʼ.
Although Foster makes reference to many archival artists, he focuses on the works of
Thomas Hirschhorn, Sam Durant and Tacita Dean for their international standing in
archival art, saying that these three artists alone ʻpoint to an archival impulse at work
internationally in contemporary art.ʼ
Furthermore, Foster states that this ʻimpulseʼ is not new, citing the works of Alexander
Rodchenko (1920ʼs) and John Heartfield (1930-1950), yet he believes that due to the
recent works of Hirschhorn, Durant and Dean, an archival impulse now has itsʼ own
distinct character and is becoming a ʻtendency in itʼs own rightʼ, focussing on their ability to
use mass culture in a ʻdisturbedʼ and obscure way which presents the viewer with an
ʻalternative knowledge or counter-memory.ʼ
Foster suggests that contemporary archives are brought to ʻlifeʼ allowing the audience the
opportunity to experience the innovative practices of the archival impulse, emotionally
engage with and ask questions of the artworks. He looks at Hirschhorn to support this by
quoting that he seeks to “distribute ideas,” “liberate activityʼ” and “radiate energy” which he
does with his “direct sculptures,” “altars,” “kiosks,” and “monuments” Foster implies that
these artists are less interested in ʻabsolute originsʼ and more with ʻobscure tracesʼ and
they are drawn to ʻunfulfilled beginnings or incomplete projects, that might offer points of
departure againʼ. Foster refers to Tacita Deanʼs variety of mediums used in her art and
how she produces a more symbolic representation of archival work which he says is
ʻalways incompleteʼ. By looking at her various works including the “sound mirrors” at
Denge by Dungeness, he reiterates his point, as he calls it, a ʻreopened futureʼ or ʻpoint of
departure'. Durant serves to support Fosterʼs view of archival artists using mass culture in
a disturbed artistic form. His work is eclectic and disorderly yet still has a vital role in
archival art.
Fosterʼs article provides the audience with an informed view of contemporary archival art
by examining artisits on an international level. To support his points he looks at the
acclaimed archival artists Thomas Hirschhorn, Sam Durant and Tacita Dean.