Crafting the Archive
18.06.2026
10.00 - 18.00
Nieuwe Instituut, Museumpark 25, 3015 CB, Rotterdam
On 18 June 2026, NADD hosts Archive Day: Crafting the Archive at the Nieuwe Instituut in Rotterdam. The programme explores how craftsmanship and archiving are deeply connected, and how making, memory, preservation and resistance intersect in contemporary design and archival practice.
Craft as archive
Craft is often built on years of experience and knowledge passed on through generations. That challenges conventional ideas of what an archive is—and who gets to shape it. During the day, you explore how designers and makers navigate questions of authorship, labour, cultural identity and memory. What is the difference between design and craft? And how do you actually archive a practice that is lived and embodied?
Talks, workshops and performances
Expect a full-day programme with lectures, interactive sessions, workshops and performances. In the opening plenary, you dive into topics ranging from feminist archival practices to the role of craft in shaping creative AI. Throughout the day, you can join hands-on lunch sessions and choose from parallel workshops and panel discussions in the afternoon.
Hands-on exploration
Many sessions are practice-based: from textile-making and spinning to collective clay-based archives and digital experimentation. You’re invited to engage directly with materials, techniques and archival fragments, and to reflect on how knowledge is stored, transformed and shared.
Practical information
The program runs from 10:00 to 17:00 and closes with drinks and the opening of an exhibition at the Collection Gallery. Your ticket includes full-day access, lunch and refreshments, and allows you to join two afternoon sessions.