The Archive Is the Artwork—Cultural Record Governance and the Production of Evidence

Abstract

Archives are often described as neutral repositories, yet they actively produce the evidentiary conditions under which history can be known. This article advances a theoretical position that documentation constitutes the historical existence of artworks by determining attribution, verification, provenance, and interpretive continuity. Challenging the assumption that archival activity is merely administrative or retrospective, the text frames documentation as an act of governance that shapes the cultural record over time. Decisions regarding selection, omission, timing, access, and custodianship are examined as forms of archival authorship with long-term consequences for cultural memory. The article functions as a foundational position statement supporting the Erik Brunetti Foundation for the Arts’ research on cultural record governance, evidentiary integrity, and long-term preservation.

This publication is archived to establish a stable, citable record of the Erik Brunetti Foundation for the Arts’ theoretical position on archival governance and the production of evidence.