The Value of Archives

Archives consist of records that have been selected for long-term preservation. Typically unpublished and almost always unique, these records are quite distinct from any other type of collection. But while they provide great historcial and cultural insight, with content typically decided by and only acessed by a few, it does raise questions of value- what is deemed worthy of being preserved and who's story they tell.

A Dormant Museum

The practice of preserving everyday artifacts and messages for the future i.e the Time Capsule is becoming increasingly popular because anyone can contribute or create one, but as artefacts are sealed off with no clear release date, subsequent generations are prevented from learning, essentially making them 'dormant museums'.

The Exchange

The White Box adresses both notions of value and time. Unlike a typical archive box where things get taken out of circulation once in a blue moon, there is a constant exchange of artefacts. This allows for new meaning to be created between the interaction of different items residing in the box at each given time, and every person sees a different collection, making it a unique expereince. As an open box, anyone can upload and view content, whether this is 'junk' you want to clear off your desktop, or a heartfelt message to a stranger.


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