Stefany Merkelbach's Journal
Embedded Files
All photos taken by Stefany Merkelbach & INFO 697 2024 Cohort
Header Image: Photo of Ercole e Lica by Antonio Canova (1795)
in the National Gallery Rome, Italy
in the National Gallery Rome, Italy
Table of Contents
"Art has no borders, specialization leads to cultural sterilization. An artist is a diplomat, a prophet, a historian, a poet, and a calendar of nourishment, of morality, and energy."
~ Robert Rauschenberg
Introduction
Introduction
My name's Stefany Merkelbach, and I'm a current MLIS student at Pratt. As someone who has never traveled abroad before--and a former COVID student--this trip was an opportunity to combine my passion for learning, archives, and art, with my desire to travel! Between our visits to the archives and getting to spend time in a city as rich with culture as Rome, this trip was an amazing experience that I could not recommend enough to other Pratt School of Information Students. Please feel free to read through my visits to the archives, and look at all the amazing sights I got to see.
Image: Me in front of St. Peter's BasilicaThe Archives
The Archives
Robert Rauschenberg Archive
Our journey through art and artists’ archives started in NYC, visiting Rober Rauschenberg’s archives. To say it set the expectations for the rest of our visits high would be to understate the work of the archive. Rauschenberg’s archives were so clearly curated with the artist in mind from the inclusion of his hand-written notes to the archivists searching for sources used in his art, this archive encompasses everything I think of when hearing ‘artist’s archive’. To compare it, however, to other archives from our visits strictly from how well it portrays the artist would be wholly unfair. It is clear from entering the space of the archive that Rauschenberg was influencing his archive long before it was officially established. This is most clearly seen in the fact that the building it currently occupies is the same one he once used as his studio. I think because of this clear influence from the artist, and from the monetary support for the archive from his estate, it sets it apart from the other artist’s archives. A clear goal is established for this archive: to create the narrative for Rauschenberg and make his life as an artist accessible to researchers.
Rauschenberg’s archive is also unique in the fact that it has not moved locations, and very little gathering of materials has needed to happen in order to begin processing the collection. Because the archive has continuously occupied its current space, it has allowed for the archivists to deaccession so little and for researchers to come in and interact with a wide variety of material (ranging from scrap notes to tax returns!), which in turn has allowed for narrative work to happen beyond the archive, including the catalog raisonne and the use of the gallery displays.
From this visit I was curious to see how other archives would be, if at all, impacted directly by the artist(s); whether that came in the form of location and space, or how the archive's information was disseminated to the public. This initial archive visit certainly set the pace and was the foundation for our frameworks.
Museo nazionale delle arti del XXI secolo (MAXXI)
The MAXXI museum paints a very intentioned picture from its outdoor architecture to its interior design. A step away from the traditional and classic look of the rest of Rome, MAXXI draws you immediately into the contemporary world of art. Our visit here was one of the more structured and informational visits, and I found the two archivists at the MAXXI to be extremely knowledgeable and excited to have us visit! Because of how well organized this visit was, it resembled more of a class than a Q&A session, with clear takeaways and an in-depth look into MAXXI’s archival practices, mission, and scope of their collection.
This visit was unique, especially in comparison to Rauschenberg’s visit, as it was very closely tied with a much larger institution. This was clearly seen in the emphasis placed on archival exhibitions, which are presented frequently on sight at the MAXXI. Because of the clear relationship established between the archive and the museum itself, I found it to be an amazing example of how artist archives can be brought to life and shared with the public. This visit was also great because of the amount of material we were able to interact with and handle. Provided with gloves, the archivists gave us free reign to look at amazing primary sources ranging from Andy Warhol prints to maps of the 1973 Contemporaenea exhibit. I would love to have spent more time here and seen even more material from their collection.
The Galleria Comunale d'Arte Moderna
Another visit to a museum based archive, the National Gallery was exactly how I imagined an archive with such a long history would look like. Hidden in the depths of the museum, the archival space was packed with storage boxes, filing cabinets, and closely attached to the museum’s library.
Similar to MAXXI, the archival staff here was small but extremely familiar with their collection. Having pulled a variety of materials; including artist books, photographs, hand-written artists’ correspondence, and sketches from artists, their presentation was very interesting. Because of the wide scope their archive encompasses, I think it was a bit more difficult to truly hone in on one particular artist or exhibition (like at the MAXXI), but it was interesting to compare the two institutions and their practices. I would have liked to interact with the material more and have a clearer understanding of the artists they chose to highlight in their tour. Overall, a fascinating visit, especially getting to see their museum library!
Istituto Centrale Catalogo Documentazione (ICCD)
While this visit was so interesting and full of amazing displays of how archives can be utilized, I did come away from this visit with more questions than answers. The ICCD, or the Central Institute for Cataloguing and Documentation of Italian cultural heritage, is located in a beautiful building in Trastevere. With an accompanying gallery space, the ICCD was most closely compared to the MAXXI, but unique in its collection of photographic material.
Getting to look closely at the artists' books generated directly from their artists in residency program was amazing, as it is nice to see archives in action beyond a research perspective. Seeing how each artist approached the collections differently and utilized the material to create new art was thought provoking. However, I wish we would’ve learned more about the archival practices like cataloging, preservation, and how they collect their material. Especially given the fact that the ICCD is meant to be the ‘Central Institute’ for these processes.
This visit did have some of my favorite pictures, as included in this journal. Between the photos of dogs in a field, to the reimaging of women in early Italian photography, this visit definitely spoke to the artistic aspect of our class. And I hope that the ICCD’s exhibitions can find their way to Pratt someday!
Franco Angeli Archive
The first of two individual artist’s archives, Franco Angeli’s archive was unique both in its structure and history. Established much later after Angeli’s death in comparison to Rauschenberg’s, the archive's main focus is establishing order in an archive that was plagued with disorder due to fake reproductions of art. An interesting and not usually spoken about result of a well-established archive, is the authority that comes with, especially for an artist’s archive. I think the archivists’ efforts towards establishing this authority and generating content from the archive (both in the form of documentaries and a potential catalog raisonne), was a great learning opportunity for us.
I would have liked to see more archival material. Though the archive space was smaller, and the collection even more so, I think it would’ve been informative to see the material in person to get a better understanding of what encompasses the collection. We heard only briefly about what is collected, and I wish we learned more about that, and less on the work of certifying artworks (though this obviously is a large aspect of this archive, so I can understand this being the main focus).
It was nice getting to meet Franco Angeli’s daughter, who established the archive and works in it. Getting to see how the living family can impact an artist’s archive was one of the questions my group had for our framework, so to see her so closely involved definitely impacts the narrative of the archive.
Elisabetta Catalano Archive
Elisabetta Catalano’s archive was a perfect mix of a space imbued with the artist and an archive dedicated to preserving a legacy. The archival space housed old furniture from her studio, was decorated with her photos, and was home to tables crafted by her husband for an exhibition featuring her work. This archive was truly reflective of the artist beyond just their artistic work by including so many aspects of her, her craft, her peers and colleagues, and her personal life. The archival team at this archive was clearly passionate about Catalano’s work and making sure it continues to be seen and shared with the world, as shown by their work with museums and former subjects of Catalano’s photos.
That being said, I felt as though this trip was more about Catalano’s work and less about building and maintaining an archive. Though it was interesting to see the archive’s filemaker database, and learn about their collaboration with university professors who are publishing a resource focused on italian female photographers and artists, I wanted to learn more about what they collect, what they don’t collect, and what were some common issues they faced while archiving.
Overall, this visit was extremely unique as it featured a lot of Catalano’s artwork and closely tied in a lot of other visits on this trip. It was nice to see how interconnected all of the spaces were with each other, and to see an artist’s archive be very much alive with energy for expansion and accessibility to outside researchers.
The Sights
The Sights
The Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, and Pantheon
The Villa Borghese, Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Ruins
When visiting Rome it's important to know that there is artwork on every corner. You are surrounded by beautiful architecture and amazing views no matter where you are. Some of my favorite parts of this trip were the free-entry visits, this included the Mouth of Truth and St. Peter's Basilica.
Getting to visit a number of churches was a great experience, as religion is such a big part of the roman culture and the history of art. I highly recommend stopping by the Church of Gesu, which heavily features baroque architecture. The Mouth of Truth is a great photo opportunity and is attached to a pre-schism church.
St. Peter's basilica and square is a must-see for anyone interested in architecture and catholic-influenced art. It is best enjoyed as early in the day as possible, especially when you can enjoy the sunset on the walk over! Words can not describe how breathtaking this visit was.
Mouth of Truth and Capuchin Friar Museum and Crypt
Church of Gesu
General Sightseeing
St. Peter's Square and Basilica
Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel
The Food
The Food
Pizza, Pizza, Pizza!
As someone who is not normally a pizza fan (ask anyone), I really enjoyed the different types of pizzas I tried on this trip! Between the sandwich take-away pizza, to the pizza with prosciutto, the pizza is really worth it! Recommendations: Pizza Flordia & Pizzeria Romana al Taglio
Panzanella
A dish that is so unique we didn't know what it was when placed in front of us! I really enjoyed this, and it tasted delicious especially after a day in the rain!
Old Bear: Beef Fillet & Potatoes
Old Bear was a solo adventure for me, as I was craving a hearty meal that was more familiar but still delicious! This resturant was so quaint and the food was delicious and worth the price! ($35)
Old Bear: Dark Chocolate Soufflé
The desserts in Italy were one of my favorite parts, and this soufflé is in the top three! It was not overly sweet, and was so warm. It came highly recommended by the staff and I would return to the restaurant just for this if I could!
Soda
Certainly a strange thing to highlight as an American tourist, but the soda in Italy tastes 100% better. Served with ice, or in a cold glass bottle, it is a nice treat after walking all day! Italy also has a variety of soda flavors not seen as frequently in the US that are worth investigating.
Did You Even Spritz It?
Aperol Spritz, enough said...
Gelato
Despite getting us lost on our second trip to Giolitti, this gelato was worth all the crazy walking. The banana flavor and fresh whip cream were delicious!Recommendations: Grom and GiolittiThe Fruit!
Blood oranges and fresh strawberries were definitely a highlight of the trip. Shoutout to Francesca for grabbing that bag of oranges day 1 of the trip!
Italian Cookies and Baked Goods
The desert in Italy is worth the whole trip! From the pastries served at breakfast (try the cream filled croissants, they're amazing!), to the tiramisu you can fill all your sweet tooth cravings. However, my favorite stop was definitely for traditional Italian cookies. The one pictured above was filled with mix berry jam, which was no overly sweet or filled with sugar like some jams here in the US. Recommendations: Two Sizes (tiramisu), Biscottificio Artigiano Innocenti (cookies)
Veni, Vidi, Vici
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