Archive Talk: V2_Archive Talk: V2_

Arie Altena takes us into the archive of V2_. The complete programme archive of V2_ is online. It includes documentation of more than 35 years of events, performances and artworks, as well as the makers, artists, researchers and organisations that have contributed to it. It offers essays, interviews and publications that played a role in the history of the 'Lab for the unstable media', set up in 1981. The V2_archive therefore forms a kind of treasure trove for those looking for information about the development of new media.

The V2_archive therefore forms a kind of treasure trove for those looking for information about the development of new media. For both researchers and curators it is a compelling source of knowledge with materials from divergent perspectives including the fields of heritage, software development, _born digital _material and the evolution of the creative industry.

V2_ started with the foundation that art and design should play a crucial role in allowing 'countries' of technological developments in society. The institute brings artists, designers, scientists, researchers, theorists, and software and hardware developers into contact with each other to investigate the social impact of technology through critical dialogue, artistic reflection and practice-oriented research. This research at the intersection of art, technology and society is then produced, presented, published and ultimately archived by V2_. In 2018 the institute called on creators and researchers from different fields with an open call to delve into the archive, drawing on it for reflection and new insights. During his _Archive Talk _editor, archivist and researcher Arie Altena takes us on an exploration of the 'memory' of the Lab.

Listen to an interview with Michel van Dartel, director of V2_Lab for the Unstable Media, Rotterdam, and Research Professor at the AvansCentre of Applied Research for Art, Design and Technology. On the value of a 'community of care' in building an archive or iconic works in an interdisciplinary field such as digital culture.

Arie Altena (1966) is a Dutch literary scholar, publicist and teacher. He writes about art, culture, new media, media theory, the internet and literature. He works as an editor, researcher and archivist for V2_, the Institute for unstable media.

The _Archive Talks _series invites experts to go deeper into the stories behind various archival materials, many of which are shown in the _Speculative Design Archive _exhibition. What background knowledge or thoughts are hidden behind the archives in the Storage Area, the Study Depot and the Showroom? What alternative forms have been used to compile, examine, disclose and interpret them? How does this effect the way they are used and their meaning? What does this mean for the creation of future archives?

Against the backdrop of the _Speculative Design Archive _we talk to archivists, archive users and other experts about specific archival models. All these different perspectives are the reason for the continuous conversations about the possible forms that a design archive can take and the meanings that can be attributed to them. Informal, interactive and in an intimate setting, each conversation adds a new layer to the exhibition.