In the heart of Amendolara's museum lies a remarkable collection unearthed from the Necropolis of
San Nicola, including meticulously restored pottery. Thousands of fragmented pieces, each
painstakingly resurrected through a tactile dance of touch, feel, materiality, shape, and ultimately
pattern. These reconstructed vessels, akin to enigmatic bridges spanning the chasm of time, unveil
the essence of antiquity. Yet, a shroud of anonymity veils the dedicated artisan responsible for this
laborious feat – an unsung hero lost in the annals of history.
A tribute to the obscure Greek God Ponos, a deity whose essence has faded into oblivion, reduced to
a personification of hardship, toil, and unrelenting labour. Ponos, like an enigmatic specter from
antiquity, embodies the fate of countless individuals who have toiled tirelessly in anonymity, their
contributions relegated to the obscured layers of history.
"Archive of the Invisible" strives to illuminate the concealed narratives of archaeology, shedding light
on the many unseen contributors, including the descendant communities like the one in
Amendolara, who have nurtured these historic sites across generations. Equally vital is the
endeavour to spotlight those hands that have toiled in obscurity – the underpaid, the uncredited,
the unrecognized labourers, the forgotten restorers, the misremembered technicians, the students,
and the amateurs whose dedication has been woven into the very fabric of history.
Through a series of community interventions in Amendolara, this project aspires to emulate the
archive as a museum in form and stationery. The residents of Amendolara, descendants of a lineage
intricately intertwined with this historical tapestry, will be invited to sift through, categorise, and
archive a trove of images, drawings, maps notes, and contemporary records. This collective effort
aims to construct a new archive, one that venerates the anonymous, the naive, the amateur, the
labourer, the restorer, and perhaps even the museum cleaning staff in the hopes of creating new
archaeological knowledge.
"Archive of the Invisible" stands as a testament to the power of collective memory, a poignant
reminder that history is not solely shaped by famous archaeologists but also by the hands that build,
restore, categorize and preserve. It beckons us to acknowledge the profound contributions of those
who remain nameless, their stories intricately woven with the very essence of humanity's past. As
we delve into this new archaeological knowledge, we unearth the narratives of the invisible,
celebrating their enduring legacy and reminding us that history's true richness lies in the unity of
countless, often overlooked, hands, feet, eyes, and torsos.
Archivio del’ Invisibile (2023) was produced at the In-ruins residency, 2023, in Cosenza, Calabria, Italy. This project was executed in collaboration with Associazione Archeofuturo, Museo Nazionale della Sibaritide, and the Commune di Amendolara.
Printed at Tipolitografia Jonica | Trebisacce