Ming, along with representatives from the Black Film Center/Archive (Indiana University Bloomington), Experimental Sound Studio and the Read/Write Library, will discuss how they consider themselves to be alternative archives, as well as their origins, changes and growth, with a focus on the pros and cons of independence and different forms of institutional affiliation.

The concept of “the Archive” has gained potency over recent years, particularly in the realms of art and culture. Depository of information, home for memory and data, source of inspiration and inquiry for artists and researchers — archives function in a multitude of ways across disciplines. The symposium features representatives from a range of archives and organizations, including Black Film Center/Archive, Chicago Film Archives, Experimental Sound Studio, Media Burn, Public Collectors, Read/Write Library, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Sixty Inches From Center, and artist Joshua J. Kent.

The Symposium is free and open to the public. Registration is here.