Collector or archivist? Juan Carlos Romero, between whim and history

Abstract

In the following pages, we look into two aspects of conservation in the work of Juan Carlos Romero, visual artist from Buenos Aires (1931-2017). On the one hand, we reflect on his interest in collecting and, on the other hand, we consider his archival commitment. Both tasks are part of a horizon for the imagination of history, since, as we will try to show, they propose an aesthetic matrix focusing on the minor aspects of some collective episodes. For Romero, history is the narrative of life in a given time through its materials. This article deals with the process of moving from his collection to the archive. We will then analyze the internal fictions that bind together the documents, the ways of acquiring the pieces, and their documentary direction. In this sense, we come to the conclusion that the collection pieces are waiting for new dispositions to give sense to the present.