'Forgetting' lecture by Mark Cousins, 8th November, 2002

Extent: 1 audio cassette, 4 digital files (738 MB )

Comprises audio recording of a lecture entitled 'forgetting', given by Mark Cousins on the 8th November, 2002. The recordings consist of an 90 mins audio cassette, 2 digital preservation files (602 MB, .wav format) and 2 digital access files (136 MB .mp3 format). Duration of access version: 58min 54sec.

Copyright: Architectural Association

Creator: Mark Cousins

Admin History: The recording is of the 4th lecture in the series entitled 'The Past', given by Mark Cousins as part of the AA General Studies programme, 2002-2003. In this lecture, Mark Cousins discusses the privileged affective relation of the past, stating that the act of forgetting has an exclusive tie to the past. He then proceeds to examine Nietzsche's ideas regarding the use and abuse of history, to discuss 'Nietzsche's Cow' and to analyse the impact of Goethe's thinking, including his conception of action. Cousins proceeds to identify architecture as an act of theatricalizing the relation between conception and execution. Moving from Nietzsche's arguments and addressing the discourse through the lens of psychoanalysis and the concept of 'nostalgia', Cousins emphasises what he experiences as a sense of helplessness and passivity that rises from absolute history.

Custodial History: Audio cassette recording was made by the AA Audio Visual Departement and retained by the AA Photo Library until 2019, when it was transferred to the AA Archives.

Aquisition: Audio cassette was transferred from the AA Photo Libary to the AA Archives in 2019. Digital preservation and access copies were created by the AA Archives in 2021.

Archive Note: Catalogue description by Samaneh Karimelahi

Publication Note: AA Events List, Week 6, Autumn Term, 4th - 10th November, 2002