ARCHIVE AND THE POSTMODERN PERSPECTIVES

Abstract

This study explores the meaning of archive in the theoretical perspectives of postmodernists, namely Michel Foucault and Jacques Derrida. The study found that both Foucault and Derrida perceive the meaning of archive in the sense of power and control. However, for Foucault, archive should be conceived as a unique event, where, for Derrida, the meaning of archive can be traced back to the idea of 'commencement' and commandment' of Greek antiquity, leading to the refutation of the idea of a space of memory. From this point, the support and critiques of their perspectives are also discussed for examining the concepts.