Abstract

This study provides a synthesis of the fundamental concepts of “art archives” and “archival art” while undertaking a reconsideration of the latter. Archival art refers to “artworks or art practices that utilize archival structures or methodologies.” Accepted as a new trend in contemporary art, archival art is evaluated as a counternarrative and reconstructs histories that are marginalized and omitted from the public sphere. This approach reveals the contradictory nature of criticizing the contemporary archive from an anti-archival perspective while simultaneously presenting the archive as a core identity of the work. Given the limited research on archival art, often with potential contradictions regarding record authenticity, this study expands the concept of archival art, includes archaeological aspects, classifies types, and analyzes their characteristics. By approaching artists’ use of archives from a traditional archaeological lens, this study broadens the scope of the examination.