The Town is the Archive
Residency, Deveron Projects, Huntly, Scotland
November 2021 - January 2022
https://www.deveron-projects.com/town-is-the-archive/
Ayọ̀ Akínwándé is a visual artist and writer. His ongoing project “Archiving the Future" has been developed across Lagos, Montréal, Nairobi and now Huntly. Ayọ̀ is interested in the future of archives in relation to the Digital Age - what are the ways we will refer to and hold information in the future, and how can we continue to activate histories at a time when social media, and short-form communication, sets the precedence for public communications.
Ayọ̀ was a Thinker in Residence in Huntly in April 2021. In that short time, the artist was directed, by local community members, to the Huntly Express archive. The Huntly Express is a local newspaper that has been in publication since the 15th August 1863. The newspaper is currently edited by Pat Scott and a physical archive of issues from 1863 is held in the local Library.
In this residency, Ayọ̀ has been spending his time amongst the archives, thinking through ways of activating the archive for local communities. The Huntly Express Archive documents a varied perspective on life in Huntly from that period, with commentary marking key events such as World War I & II, Spanish Flu Pandemic, Scotland's empirical and colonial history, and much more. The artist will represent parts of the archive in print, digital and public outcomes throughout December 2021 and January 2022.