Welcome to Archive/Counterarchive

News and Events

Posts and happenings from around the A/CA network.
A photo of a dimly lit theatre stage with two chairs and a small table and a large colour projection on the wall behind with the text "The Indigenous Archives Gathering" displayed.

Grateful Reflections on the Indigenous Archives Gathering

Earlier this month, in collaboration with imagineNATIVE, we had the pleasure and privilege of co-hosting the Indigenous Archives Gathering. As this event has been roughly three years in the making, we would like to share some photos and a brief recap, as well as to sincerely thank all of the speakers, participating artists, volunteers, and attendees. 

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A promotional square image with the text "Working Papers Series: Johanna Laub" in large purple and pink font displayed within a retro Netscape Navigator internet browser interface.

Working Papers Series: Johanna Laub | Zoom, Nov 29, 2022

Join us for another online iteration of the Archive/Counter-Archive Working Papers Series, which brings together PhD students from different universities to hear about exciting doctoral research in the area of archival studies. Our next speaker is Johanna Laub, who is a PhD student, Goethe University, Frankfurt and visiting scholar, Concordia University. Johanna’s talk will be followed by a Q&A with the audience, moderated by our student organizers, Emily Barton and Elina Lex.

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A black and white film still of a woman's face overlaid onto of a image of a woman walking in a forest during the day toward the right of the frame.

Memory in Motion Screening | 7-9 PM, Oct 27, TMU

122 Bond Street, Room 307
School of the Image Arts, Toronto Metropolitan University
Toronto ON M5B1E9
Canada

The Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto (LIFT) and Archive/Counter-Archive are partnering to bring together an in-person screening and panel event to celebrate the 2022 UNESCO World Audiovisual Heritage Week running from October 27 – November 5. The eight films presented as part of “Memory in Motion” celebrate and reinterpret what is possible through non-fiction storytelling in the way they use archival footage in filmmaking. Although wildly different in approach and style, they explore the generative potential of artistic engagement with documentary heritage in contemporary filmmaking practices as a means of re-imagining our relationship to audiovisual history. The screening will be followed by a panel moderated by Olivia Wong and featuring filmmakers Franci Duran, Jennifer Dysart and Nadine Valcin.
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A promotional image with a film still of a figure leaning off the back of a large boat with a wooden sculpture on their back. The bottom of the image has in big block letter "The Indigenous Archives Gathering" with pink, blue, purple, and yellow colour blocks around it.

The Indigenous Archives Gathering | Oct 17-18, TIFF Bell Lightbox

The Indigenous Archives Gathering (October 17–18, 2022) will bring together Indigenous artists, film and media specialists, archivists, curators, Knowledge Keepers, Elders, memory workers and scholars from across Canada. Themes of traces and care will be explored through three perspectives 1) access, 2) engagement, 3) activation of archives from different First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities as well as regions.

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A photograph of a section of film reel as seen through a magnifying glass.

CineMobilia Launch and Screening Programme | Oct 1-2, 2022

134 Ian MacDonald Blvd
(Across the street from the Archives of Ontario)
North York ON M7A 2C5
Canada

As part of the 2022 Nuit Blanche festival, CineMobilia is being launched by Archive/Counter-Archive with an all-night, outdoor micro-cinema installation and screening programme. The micro-cinema space will be located across the street from the Archives of Ontario on York University's Keele campus. The screening programme will start at 7 pm, run throughout the rest of the evening, and involve many drop-in talks by artists.

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A promotional image with the text "Working Papers Series: Theo Xenophontos" displayed on an out of date internet browser window and older Windows OS.

Working Papers Series: Theo Xenophontos | Zoom, Oct 25, 2022

Join us for another online iteration of the Archive/Counter-Archive Working Papers Series, which brings together PhD students from different Universities to hear about exciting doctoral research in the area of archival studies. Our next speaker is Theo Xenophontos, who is a PhD candidate in the Cinema and Media Studies program at York University. Theo’s talk will be followed by a Q&A with the audience, moderated by our student organizers, Emily Barton and Elina Lex.

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A geometric line drawing of a kiwi bird done in white against a black background.

Biophilia: Artist and Archive | Nuit Blanche, Oct 1-2, 2022

York University
4700 Keele St
Toronto ON M3J 1P3
Canada

As part of the broader Streams~ event, and in collaboration with the Archives of Ontario and the AGYU, Archive/Counter-Archive is organizing six media art installations across the Keele campus. Five of these will be united under the exhibition title, Biophilia: Artist and Archive, with the sixth being tied to the launch of CineMobilia, a new mobile infrastructure dedicated to digitizing archival moving image material.
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A black and white archival photograph of a woman operating a film camera on a tripod standing in front of a boat.

Activating an Archive: Margaret Perry and the Nova Scotia Film Bureau

Nova Scotia Archives
6016 University Avenue
Halifax NS B3H 1W4
Canada

Join us for three nights of events to mark the digital release of the career work of Margaret Perry, the filmmaker and director who made over 50 films for the Nova Scotia Film Bureau (1945-1969). These promotional films depict the province as a site of tourism, industry, labour, and heritage and are complex artifacts that articulate and reflect understandings of government policy, cultural discourse, as well as Perry’s own perspectives and artistic voice.
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A promotional image with the text "Holding Ground: Nuit Blanche and Other Ruptures" displayed on the top portion of a book cover that also features a photograph of a costumed person in front of cheering crowd at night.

Book Launch | Holding Ground: Nuit Blanche and Other Ruptures

Artscape Daniels Launchpad
East Tower, 130 Queens Quay E, 4th Floor
Toronto ON M5A 0P6
Canada

Commemorating the 15-year history of Nuit Blanche, Holding Ground: Nuit Blanche and Other Ruptures is an edited collection by artists, scholars, curators and contributors that considers Nuit Blanche in Canada and abroad. Through personal reflections, dialogues, and projects, the essays and images in this full-colour volume generate a multi-perspectival view of Nuit Blanche, which has spanned numerous urban centres and forged countless community relations, in a volume that brings together historical, contemporary and future-oriented understandings of this large-scale public art event. Hosted by Nuit Blanche and the City of Toronto with PUBLIC Books.
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