Meta-archive

How to archive a body of work that is abundant, messy, relational and non-hierarchical? ‘Process’ is central in Sands’ practice, and to keep honouring that, a part of the ‘Gift Science Archive’ project deals with recording (and archiving) the process of the archiving itself: also known as the meta-archive. This is a term MH came up with, and RR was within the ‘Gift Science Archive’ collaboration happy to take up the role of 'meta-archivist'. The meta-archive materials contain snapshots taken during the 18-month Gift Science Archive performance and archiving activities, combined with diary notes. Another aspect is a series of longer recorded conversations initiated by RR (with Sands, with Sands & Amalia Calderón and with Sands & Robin Wassink-Murray), which aimed to capture ideas about value, structure, and care for an artistic practice, as well as providing plenty of space for sharing references, gossip, and ‘information’ – one of Sands’ main materials. These seven hours of interviews – some in Dutch and some in English – are all in their unedited richness part of the meta-archive, both as audio recordings and transcriptions (translations and transcriptions by Martha Jager). Finally, an e-mail thread between MH, RR and SMW from late 2020 gives space to speak about their collaboration and the process (and their feelings) at that time through the medium of an unedited e-mail correspondence. – RR.

Listings connecting to the typology “Meta-archive” (286)

Image of Studio object

Photographer: Radna Rumping

  • Catalog No.
  • 01337-2020-MaPi-MoreUnrolling-004
  • Title
  • More Unrolling
  • Dimensions
  • Variable
  • Materials
  • 10 phone snapshots
  • Object Location
  • Digital
  • Technical Notes

Date: 04.02.20. Location: Rijksakademie, studio manege. Images of SMW unpacking, measuring, photographing and ordering rolled-up painting works, featuring Sands standing on a table, a painting with a boa, and an example of bags in bags.

  • Reflection Notes

“Was there a precedent for queer body based arts in the Netherlands? Sands thinks of Fabiola; living as an art object, not performing per se, but having a performative presence. This presence might be in relation to the dress, wig etc Sands is thinking about wearing in September. Grayson Perry said: ‘your mistakes are your style’.” From the meta-archive process diary. – RR.

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Image of Studio object

Photographer: Radna Rumping

  • Catalog No.
  • 01368-2020-MaPi-HangingTime-022
  • Title
  • Hanging Time
  • Dimensions
  • Variable
  • Materials
  • 50 phone snapshots
  • Object Location
  • Digital
  • Technical Notes

Date: 25.02.20. Location: Rijksakademie, studio manege. Images of installation activities in the studio, with SMW, MH and Roger Cremers who assists with hanging a large vinyl print and the framed work dedicated to Carolee Schneemann. Unpacking materials. Sands holding a drawing with a clock and 'tyranny' text, a gift for Roger. The beginnings of making the horse cloud on the studio wall.

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Image of Studio object

Photographer: Megan Hoetger

  • Catalog No.
  • 01399-2020-MaPi-HorseCloud-004
  • Title
  • Horse Cloud
  • Dimensions
  • Variable
  • Materials
  • 14 phone snapshots
  • Object Location
  • Digital
  • Technical Notes

Date: 04.03.20. Location: Rijksakademie, studio manege. Images of working on large horse cloud with SMW, MH and Amalia Calderón. First time GSA meeting with Amalia present, images of Sands and Amalia talking with poster of Hannah Wilke in the background.

  • Reflection Notes

Rijksakademie Internal Open Studios – 07.09.20. “The symbology of horses versus the real horses: some visitors would account feeling threatened, or being a horse whisperer, even their height came into play (the initial idea that popped into their minds would be a pony, or something small and nice).” – AC. “The horses are an anthropomorphic stand-in for humanity.” – SMW. “Are they though? Why do they stand for humans, and where do the horses inside the horse skin go?” – AC.

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Image of Studio object

Photographer: Megan Hoetger

  • Catalog No.
  • 01348-2020-MaPi-HangingTime-001
  • Title
  • Hanging Time
  • Dimensions
  • Variable
  • Materials
  • 50 phone snapshots
  • Object Location
  • Digital
  • Technical Notes

Date: 25.02.20. Location: Rijksakademie, studio manege. Images of installation activities in the studio, with SMW, MH and Roger Cremers who assists with hanging a large vinyl print and the framed work dedicated to Carolee Schneemann. Unpacking materials. Sands holding a drawing with a clock and 'tyranny' text, a gift for Roger. The beginnings of making the horse cloud on the studio wall.

  • Reflection Notes

“This week is better reflected in images then in notes. There are many images, because this was a more ‘visual’, ‘hands on’ day. It was an important day, because we re-organised the studio a bit, to make space for the event of March 6th (that is fully booked), and for new works that have been waiting for a while to be hung in the space. In the meantime also a decision was made: Amalia Calderón will join the Gift Science Archive collaboration. Sands prepared the big airtex print with grommets. Roger came by to help. It was quite special to see the space transformed, with the big print on the wall now, different typologies (paintings, textile paintings, bags in bags) organized around the space.” From the meta-archive process diary. – RR.

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Image of Studio object

Photographer: Radna Rumping

  • Catalog No.
  • 01379-2020-MaPi-HangingTime-033
  • Title
  • Hanging Time
  • Dimensions
  • Variable
  • Materials
  • 50 phone snapshots
  • Object Location
  • Digital
  • Technical Notes

Date: 25.02.20. Location: Rijksakademie, studio manege. Images of installation activities in the studio, with SMW, MH and Roger Cremers who assists with hanging a large vinyl print and the framed work dedicated to Carolee Schneemann. Unpacking materials. Sands holding a drawing with a clock and 'tyranny' text, a gift for Roger. The beginnings of making the horse cloud on the studio wall.

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Image of Studio object

Photographer: Radna Rumping

  • Catalog No.
  • 01411-2020-MaPi-ConversationSandsAndRobin-001
  • Title
  • Conversation Sands and Robin
  • Dimensions
  • Variable
  • Materials
  • 5 phone snapshots
  • Object Location
  • Digital
  • Technical Notes

Date: 24.07.20. Location: house Sands and Robin, Swammerdamstraat 4E, Amsterdam. Images taken right after a recorded conversation with Sands and Robin, featuring cat Duman, Robin and Sands on the couch, and self-portrait in mirror of Radna.

  • Reflection Notes

“Dumanneke is part of the family unit, Wassinque Inc.” – RR.

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Image of Studio object

Photographer: Radna Rumping

  • Catalog No.
  • 01358-2020-MaPi-HangingTime-012
  • Title
  • Hanging Time
  • Dimensions
  • Variable
  • Materials
  • 50 phone snapshots
  • Object Location
  • Digital
  • Technical Notes

Date: 25.02.20. Location: Rijksakademie, studio manege. Images of installation activities in the studio, with SMW, MH and Roger Cremers who assists with hanging a large vinyl print and the framed work dedicated to Carolee Schneemann. Unpacking materials. Sands holding a drawing with a clock and 'tyranny' text, a gift for Roger. The beginnings of making the horse cloud on the studio wall.

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Image of Studio object

Photographer: Radna Rumping

  • Catalog No.
  • 01390-2020-MaPi-HangingTime-044
  • Title
  • Hanging Time
  • Dimensions
  • Variable
  • Materials
  • 50 phone snapshots
  • Object Location
  • Digital
  • Technical Notes

Date: 25.02.20. Location: Rijksakademie, studio manege. Images of installation activities in the studio, with SMW, MH and Roger Cremers who assists with hanging a large vinyl print and the framed work dedicated to Carolee Schneemann. Unpacking materials. Sands holding a drawing with a clock and 'tyranny' text, a gift for Roger. The beginnings of making the horse cloud on the studio wall.

  • Reflection Notes

“Taking a step back-and then go into the process of hanging horse drawings again.” – RR.

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Image of Studio object

Photographer: Radna Rumping

  • Catalog No.
  • 01338-2020-MaPi-MoreUnrolling-005
  • Title
  • More Unrolling
  • Dimensions
  • Variable
  • Materials
  • 10 phone snapshots
  • Object Location
  • Digital
  • Technical Notes

Date: 04.02.20. Location: Rijksakademie, studio manege. Images of SMW unpacking, measuring, photographing and ordering rolled-up painting works, featuring Sands standing on a table, a painting with a boa, and an example of bags in bags.

  • Reflection Notes

“This studio is not for making new work, but for looking at and caring about previous work-and in a way that is a new work as well.” – RR.

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Image of Studio object

Photographer: Radna Rumping

  • Catalog No.
  • 01422-2020-MaPi-ConversationAmaliaAndSands-0…
  • Title
  • Conversation Amalia and Sands
  • Dimensions
  • Variable
  • Materials
  • 10 phone snapshots
  • Object Location
  • Digital
  • Technical Notes

Date: 27.08.20. Location: Rijksakademie, studio manege. Images taken before and after a recorded conversation with Sands and Amalia, featuring materials on the floor, Sands and Amalia holding a painting, and ‘denk aan parfum’ t-shirt at the door.

  • Reflection Notes

“You can’t make work for a total public, because every viewer has a different approach. This is the kind of knowledge I’m mostly interested in, subjective and personal. My worst nightmare is when artists try to control their reception.” – SMW. “This makes me think of Adrian Piper who seems to do that a lot, and Megan mentions that indeed every work relating to her archive should be approved be her. Sands thinks there are two sides of the same coin when it comes to rigour, but that they might make a different-conscious- choice: to control reception or not at all, and ‘every artists makes their choice about how far they want to go and where is their limit’. From the meta-archive process diary, March 30, 2020. In the collaboration between Sands and Amalia, Amalia could have her own associations with the work, and write texts in the database as she pleased, Sands would not edit her. The conversations and weekly archiving sessions in the studio formed a relationship of trust.” – RR.

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Image of Studio object

Photographer: Radna Rumping

  • Catalog No.
  • 01369-2020-MaPi-HangingTime-023
  • Title
  • Hanging Time
  • Dimensions
  • Variable
  • Materials
  • 50 phone snapshots
  • Object Location
  • Digital
  • Technical Notes

Date: 25.02.20. Location: Rijksakademie, studio manege. Images of installation activities in the studio, with SMW, MH and Roger Cremers who assists with hanging a large vinyl print and the framed work dedicated to Carolee Schneemann. Unpacking materials. Sands holding a drawing with a clock and 'tyranny' text, a gift for Roger. The beginnings of making the horse cloud on the studio wall.

Close

Image of Studio object

Photographer: Radna Rumping

  • Catalog No.
  • 01401-2020-MaPi-HorseCloud-005
  • Title
  • Horse Cloud
  • Dimensions
  • Variable
  • Materials
  • 14 phone snapshots
  • Object Location
  • Digital
  • Technical Notes

Date: 04.03.20. Location: Rijksakademie, studio manege. Images of working on large horse cloud with SMW, MH and Amalia Calderón. First time GSA meeting with Amalia present, images of Sands and Amalia talking with poster of Hannah Wilke in the background.

  • Reflection Notes

“This is what group meetings looked like: under the watchful eye of Hannah Wilke, drinking rose hibiscus tea, eating mandarins and cookies, using laptops and (glitter) notebooks.” – RR.

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Image of Studio object

Photographer: Megan Hoetger

  • Catalog No.
  • 01349-2020-MaPi-HangingTime-002
  • Title
  • Hanging Time
  • Dimensions
  • Variable
  • Materials
  • 50 phone snapshots
  • Object Location
  • Digital
  • Technical Notes

Date: 25.02.20. Location: Rijksakademie, studio manege. Images of installation activities in the studio, with SMW, MH and Roger Cremers who assists with hanging a large vinyl print and the framed work dedicated to Carolee Schneemann. Unpacking materials. Sands holding a drawing with a clock and 'tyranny' text, a gift for Roger. The beginnings of making the horse cloud on the studio wall.

Close

Image of Studio object

Photographer: Radna Rumping

  • Catalog No.
  • 01380-2020-MaPi-HangingTime-034
  • Title
  • Hanging Time
  • Dimensions
  • Variable
  • Materials
  • 50 phone snapshots
  • Object Location
  • Digital
  • Technical Notes

Date: 25.02.20. Location: Rijksakademie, studio manege. Images of installation activities in the studio, with SMW, MH and Roger Cremers who assists with hanging a large vinyl print and the framed work dedicated to Carolee Schneemann. Unpacking materials. Sands holding a drawing with a clock and 'tyranny' text, a gift for Roger. The beginnings of making the horse cloud on the studio wall.

Close

Image of Studio object

Photographer: Radna Rumping

  • Catalog No.
  • 01412-2020-MaPi-ConversationSandsAndRobin-002
  • Title
  • Conversation Sands and Robin
  • Dimensions
  • Variable
  • Materials
  • 5 phone snapshots
  • Object Location
  • Digital
  • Technical Notes

Date: 24.07.20. Location: house Sands and Robin, Swammerdamstraat 4E, Amsterdam. Images taken right after a recorded conversation with Sands and Robin, featuring cat Duman, Robin and Sands on the couch, and self-portrait in mirror of Radna.

  • Reflection Notes

“The setting, how many cookies did we need? We had talked often throughout 2020, but the presence of a recorder made this a different kind of talk. I believe that the presence of a camera is for many people more ‘intruding’, and an audio recorder you forget after a while because it is less visible. But from the way Sands was speaking-precise, and making sure what to explain and what to reveal and what not-I knew the recording stayed on his mind.” – RR.

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