An archaeology of disability: thinking beyond ableism about the past

Η ομιλία αφορά την εγκατάσταση “An Archaeology of Disability”, που σχεδάστηκε από τους David Gissen, Jeniffer Stager και Μάνθα Ζαρμακούπη και παρουσιάστηκε για πρώτη φορά στην Μπιενάλε Αρχιτεκτονκής της Βενετίας του 2021, εν συνεχεία στην Γυψοθήκη Αρχαίας Τέχνης της Πίζας και το 2023 στο Μουσείο Παύλου και Αλεξάνδρας Κανελλοπούλου στην Αθήνα.

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ABSTRACT
This paper presents the ways in which the installation “An Archaeology of Disability” offers an experiment in the historic reconstruction of the Acropolis in Athens that moves beyond ableist approaches to classical heritage. “An Archaeology of Disability” is an exhibition / research station designed and curated for the Venice Biennale, Architettura 2021 by David Gissen, Jennifer Stager, and Mantha Zarmakoupi, exhibited a year later at La Gipsoteca di Arte Antica in Pisa, and now shown at the Paul and Alexandra Kanellopoulos Museum in Athens.

The accessibility of historic architecture not only determines who can experience the past, but it also informs how we think about disabled people as part of history. This installation presents an experiment in the historic reconstruction of the Acropolis in Athens. We explored what it means to reconstruct lost elements of the Acropolis through the lens of human impairment. Such an approach contrasts to the pursuit of “accessible heritage” — a balance between historic authenticity of architecture and technical modifications made for accessibility. We call our alternative to accessible heritage “an archaeology of disability.”