Digitising and archiving HIV and AIDS in South Africa: The Museum of AIDS in Africa as an archival intervention

Abstract

The AIDS epidemic in South Africa has demanded interventions from a number of different forums. Drawing on theory relating to the archive in post-apartheid South Africa and data from the online archive from the Museum of AIDS in Africa (MAA), this article explores the possibilities and challenges of using digital technologies alongside physical artefacts to intervene in the AIDS epidemic in South Africa by creating a postcolonial AIDS archive. Focusing in particular on the case of the MAA, in this article I examine the ability of the MAA to act as an archival intervention into the epidemic in two ways. The first of these is through the development of physical and digital archives that prioritise diversity and accessibility in order to reach marginalised constituencies. The second is by breaking the silence about those made most marginalised and vulnerable by HIV and AIDS through giving them the opportunity to contribute to the Museum’s digital content.