Date: 06.06.2019

On 28 February 2019, the Round Table “Preservation of Nowadays. Why do we need libraries, archives, and documentational centres of contemporary arts?”, which was the first library event in the framework of professional meetings for specialists in the field of contemporary art.

The round table was organised by Russian State Art Library (RSAL) with the participation of the Art Libraries and Museum Libraries of the Russian Library Association.

The event was opened by Ada Kolganova, Director of the Russian State Art Library and Leonid Bazhanov, the founder of the National Centre for Contemporary Art.

Ada Kolganova noted that the topic of the round table is relevant for the archive and library community as it is necessary to preserve not only the historical legacy, but also what is being created today. She emphasised that the function of preserving reality is that it organises creative space in cultural institutions, and one of the issues discussed at the round table was various methods and means of preservation, acquisition, documentation, and representation of literature, archival materials, and works of art.

Leonid Bazhanov expressed his gratitude to RSAL for the invitation. He said that there would not have been modern art in his life if not for libraries and archives. Bazhanov noted that contemporary art cannot exist without a documentary archive and today the task of museums, libraries, and archives is to be the translation of modernity.

Specialists in the field of contemporary visual art spoke at the round table. The themes of the speeches covered a wide range of issues, from the concept of forming an archive and library on contemporary art to the legal norms of storage and inventory of works of art, which sparked a lively discussion among guests of the library.