Photographs, videos, recipes, as well as poems and songs all exist as our own personal archives. How are these archives accessed? Who has access, and what are the ethical questions brought up from working with them (or not)?
These questions were discussed online with food historian Salma Serry and artist Imane Zoubai, chaired by Jessica El Mal and Elodie Sacher (see video). The discussion was charged with kinship, exploring both shared and personal experiences as well as perspectives on colonial history and its postcolonial echoes.
An online workshop followed, with 14 participants spanning different countries and timezones including Australia, Turkey and Singapore to name a few, invited to share their own family archives in whatever form. This was an opportunity for a global conversation, to share our perspectives on intention, preservation, and authenticity. Despite the distance and stilted nature of Zoom, the workshop was candid and fulfilling; conversation flowed, we learnt from each other, and healthy debate encouraged even more questions.
