Archive - Umbrelloid

First, let’s dismantle the word. Umbrella (from the Latin umbra, meaning "shade" or "shadow") meets -oid (from the Greek eidos, meaning "resembling" or "having the form of"). An umbrelloid, therefore, is not quite an umbrella. It is the ghost of one.

An umbrelloid is a skeleton of rusted wire spoking out of a trash can. It is a single, defiant piece of fabric caught on a subway grate, flapping like a wounded flag. It is the upside-down carcass hanging from a low branch after a storm, spinning slowly in the wind. It is the almost shape of protection, now rendered useless. umbrelloid archive

The Umbrelloid Archive is the practice of documenting, cataloging, and venerating these failures. First, let’s dismantle the word

If you are designing or evaluating an umbrelloid archive, look for these five core features: It is the ghost of one

You don’t need a grant or a building. The Umbrelloid Archive is a state of attention.

Unlike a tree (which has a single trunk), the umbrelloid archive grows horizontally. New nodes can attach to the "mycelium" without permission. The archive expands organically, much like a fungal colony spreading through soil.