Archive as Medium

Abstract This article will explore the idea of the archive as medium, with sub-themes of neutrality, silence, and truth. An archive can serve as the intermediary in the construction of the archival series and collections around a central theme or scope. The messages bound in the archival container are selected to fit into an archival series or collection to reiterate or document a particular aspect. Archival collections have the power and effect of creating cumulative viewpoints over time by way of the contained messages. Selected case studies of more recent user-generated digital archives will be explored in context to these themes; such as A People’s Archive of Police Violence in Cleveland and Take Back the Archive (University of Virginia).