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“Om plats inte ges för ett Svart arkiv, skapar vi det”: En institutionsteoretisk diskursanalys om Black Archives Swedens plats i Konstvärlden.

Hasselqvist, Astrid LU (2026) KOVK03 20252
Division of Art History and Visual Studies
Abstract
This thesis examines Black Archives Sweden (BAS), a contemporary archive centering the experiences of afroswedes and Black people. The archive raises the question of whose story is worthy of telling, and through whose eyes it is being documented. To approach the material, the thesis applies discourse analysis in combination with postcolonial perspectives and theories as well as institutional art theory. Arthur Danto, George Dickie, and Howard
Becker have all formulated closely related theories of the art world. These social
constructivist theories enable an analysis of the statements of various persons active within the art world of BAS. Furthermore, enabling an analysis of the main question of the thesis: what kind of a place is Black... (More)
This thesis examines Black Archives Sweden (BAS), a contemporary archive centering the experiences of afroswedes and Black people. The archive raises the question of whose story is worthy of telling, and through whose eyes it is being documented. To approach the material, the thesis applies discourse analysis in combination with postcolonial perspectives and theories as well as institutional art theory. Arthur Danto, George Dickie, and Howard
Becker have all formulated closely related theories of the art world. These social
constructivist theories enable an analysis of the statements of various persons active within the art world of BAS. Furthermore, enabling an analysis of the main question of the thesis: what kind of a place is Black Archives Sweden in the context of the art world? Theory of performativity through Mieke Bal is applied to answer the question of: how does BAS work with representing contemporary afroswede experience? The thesis concludes that BAS functions as an art world in itself. The main function of the art world, as well as its importance, lies in its ability to contribute necessary knowledge about afroswede artistic interests to more established art world institutions. This is achieved by creating a porous environment where the possibilities of the art world are formulated in symbiosis between the different participating roles within BAS. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Hasselqvist, Astrid LU
supervisor
organization
alternative title
“If there’s no space for a Black archive, we create it”: a study on Black Archives Sweden through institutional art theory and discourse analysis.
course
KOVK03 20252
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
keywords
Black identity, archives, contemporary, art history, powerdynamics, art worlds, social constructivism, performativity, postcolonialism.
language
Swedish
id
9222605
date added to LUP
2026-02-12 08:26:12
date last changed
2026-02-12 08:26:12
@misc{9222605,
  abstract     = {{This thesis examines Black Archives Sweden (BAS), a contemporary archive centering the experiences of afroswedes and Black people. The archive raises the question of whose story is worthy of telling, and through whose eyes it is being documented. To approach the material, the thesis applies discourse analysis in combination with postcolonial perspectives and theories as well as institutional art theory. Arthur Danto, George Dickie, and Howard
Becker have all formulated closely related theories of the art world. These social
constructivist theories enable an analysis of the statements of various persons active within the art world of BAS. Furthermore, enabling an analysis of the main question of the thesis: what kind of a place is Black Archives Sweden in the context of the art world? Theory of performativity through Mieke Bal is applied to answer the question of: how does BAS work with representing contemporary afroswede experience? The thesis concludes that BAS functions as an art world in itself. The main function of the art world, as well as its importance, lies in its ability to contribute necessary knowledge about afroswede artistic interests to more established art world institutions. This is achieved by creating a porous environment where the possibilities of the art world are formulated in symbiosis between the different participating roles within BAS.}},
  author       = {{Hasselqvist, Astrid}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{“Om plats inte ges för ett Svart arkiv, skapar vi det”: En institutionsteoretisk diskursanalys om Black Archives Swedens plats i Konstvärlden.}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}