Archive 1996

Curator: This is "Archive" by Simon Callery, a large piece residing here at the Tate. It immediately strikes me as incredibly muted. Editor: Yes, it's almost painfully neutral, isn't it? I'm curious about the textile, the weave—it looks almost like raw linen or some kind of very simple canvas. What kind of labor went into preparing it? Curator: That's a fascinating question, especially when considered within Callery's wider practice. His works often engage with architectural spaces and institutional memory. Editor: So the "archive" is both the artwork itself and a reference to larger systems of preservation. I wonder about the consumption of such a piece. Is it meant to be contemplative or challenging? Curator: Perhaps both? It prompts questions about what we choose to remember, what we deem worthy of preservation, and how art institutions themselves participate in those choices. Editor: And the lack of any strong visual statement seems to amplify that questioning of value and labor. It avoids easy answers, doesn't it? Curator: Precisely. It invites us to consider the quiet, almost invisible forces that shape our cultural landscape. Editor: Well, I'll be thinking about the quiet labor of textile production for a while now, thanks to Callery.