T.W. Pilar | Pilar Studios | 2025
Presented within the fair’s Cultural Partnership sector, Living Archive, File 00 consisted of a steel enclosure clad with frosted plexiglass panels on its front and rear elevations and populated with living Atlanta-native
vegetation, soil, and locally sourced ecological material. Installed directly on the exhibition floor, the structure functioned simultaneously as a sculptural vessel, ecological environment, and living archive.
The installation extended the central concerns of Containment Studies through the use of regionally specific flora and fauna, positioning the work as a living ecological record tied directly to Atlanta’s environmental conditions. Unlike traditional archival systems designed for preservation and stability, the work remained subject to growth, maintenance, environmental exposure, and material change throughout its presentation.
Presented as an independent study within the larger archive, Living Archive, File 00 introduced the formal language that would become central to subsequent Containment Studies installations and future regionally responsive ecological archives.
Installation Record
Living Archive, File 00 was originally conceived as a steel-framed ecological vessel incorporating frosted plexiglass panels on the front and rear elevations. During installation at Atlanta Art Fair (2025), the front plexiglass panel sustained irreversible damage after the work was relocated without artist supervision. Following removal of the damaged component, environmental exposure and wind conditions within the exhibition environment required additional stabilization measures to ensure the safety and continued presentation of the work.
The installation ultimately remained on public view in an altered configuration that differed from the original design intent and proposal renderings. Temporary stabilization elements, including visible sandbag ballast, were introduced on site and were not part of the intended composition. Renderings, proposal materials, and pre-installation documentation therefore depict a different configuration than the version encountered by visitors during public presentation.
Work Included
Living Archive, File 00 (2025)
Steel, frosted plexiglass, soil, local flora and fauna
60 × 60 × 10 inches
Publications
Atlanta Art Fair — Living Archive, File 00