Fugitives in the Archive is inspired by unexpected objects that we have encountered while doing art-based research in archives. How are decisions made about what to keep, and why? While we imagine museums and archives to be stable repositories of our histories and memories, objects show us how dynamic and unstable collections can be.

We spent time in the British Columbia Archives with Archivist Ann ten Cate and Preservation Manager Ember Lundgren who identified objects that stood out for them as remarkable. Ann referred to objects that she was unable to preserve as fugitives. To be fugitive is the slippery feeling of something escaping or eluding grasp. A fugitive is also one who is driven out, banished, or exiled. Fugitive objects are powerful because they disrupt the order and standards of the archive, drawing attention to what is seen as valuable and what no longer fits.

Exhibition documentation by Rachel Topham