de Appel Archive, consisting of the Library, Archive and Collection (Unintended), tells a multitude of stories about de Appel’s living past and lively present, through books, ephemera, video, audio, manuscripts, correspondence, witness reports and art. De Appel Archive is kept alive and vibrant by allies posing vital questions, and is ready to be rediscovered and recalibrated, time and time again.
The Archive was started by de Appel’s founder Wies Smals as a documentation centre, and is constantly expanding with newly added records; digital and physical materials that derive from exhibitions and performances, but also from lectures, symposia, informal presentations, conversations and other events. The standards for archiving are strict: materials must belong to de Appel’s history, in order to keep the collection as concise as possible.
Archival sections
Library section
– Monographs of artists who exhibited in de Appel or were considered as possible participants;
– A curators’ library: a collection of professional literature, theoretical and philosophical work, collected for the participants in the Curatorial Programme;
– Special editions, such as the collection of publications from East and Central Europe, the collection on feminism and gender in art, de Enschedese School, other unique artist books and rare documentation material;
– Special Magazines: Avalanche, de Witte Raaf, Metropolis M, Parkett, Artzien, Casco issues and HTV de IJsberg;
– Posters: poster collection of de Appel’s and adjacent events.
Audiovisual section
Mainly registrations of performances, events and projects. Most of the video and audio material has been digitalized and excerpts can be found on de Appel’s website. Short descriptions and fragments of the videos can also be found on the website of LI-MA. LI-MA is our partner in conservation and distribution of de Appel’s video collection (up to 1995). Videoworks that have been shown in de Appel might be available for in-house research, depending on the wishes of the makers. The audio collection on tape has been digitalized by João Van Zelst and is mostly available in-house.
Collection (unintended)
As an institution that presents art, de Appel does not maintain a collection, nevertheless over the years a collection of objects has been assembled largely from gifts of artists or remains of artist projects and exhibitions, mailart or ‘leftovers’ from performances.
De Appel by year
De Appel’s year shelves contain all the exhibitions catalogued by year and exhibition number. About ten metres of folders contain the invitations, photographs, press articles, own publications and posters. In addition, the correspondence, financial documents and materials on special projects and publications have been kept.
Exhibition section, including documentation folders and general archive
de Appel has been keeping a paper archive up to 2000. Since then documents and correspondence are mostly archived digitally on our server. The physical and digital archives are structured in the same way. In the exhibition archive you can find records relating to finance, production, correspondence, communication and bookmaking. In the general archive you can find, next to the aforementioned, minutes of meetings, the Curatorial and Gallerist Programme archive, and projects which took place outside of de Appel. A number of copies of each printed item are kept at an external storage facility.
Purchasing policy
de Appel has a very modest budget for purchasing books or other materials. The collection mainly expands through donations and exchanges. Gifts are welcome, particularly publications on de Appel artists or related themes, possibly in exchange for a de Appel publication. Scholars are invited to send writings or research on de Appel or de Appel allies, to be included in our database.
Archiving is a work-in-progress
de Appel respects the work of artists and other makers and does its utmost best to mention them correctly. Inaccuracies in the mentioning of persons or organisations are unintentional. For comments, additions and questions, please contact info[at]deappel.nl.