When is Archaeology?: A flotation machine, an art exhibition and the (un)sievable realm of possibilities

When a flotation machine, an object routinely employed at archaeological sites, was featured prominently in an art exhibition, its significance did not simply change. As well as interrupting the machine’s meaning (function), the act and event also made possible the emergence of new forms of attention, and of different means of engagement with the object. This paper explores the collaboration between archaeology and art where this occurred, the exhibition Geography of Looking in the Ar/Ge Kunst art space in the city of Bolzano in northeast Italy. The introduction of a flotation machine into the art space initiated a dialogue about the perception, interpretation and disciplinary boundaries of archaeology. Entangled in artistic discursive practice and curated as such, the flotation machine unexpectedly became more “archaeological”. The implications of this collaboration on our understanding and framing of archaeological practice elicited a new question: when is archaeology? This question foregrounds the potential of archaeology to become more democratic, inclusive and responsive, and proposes a more collective and boundary-crossing looking. The paper contributes to the growing discourse on contemporary archaeology and art, inviting further collaborations and co-creations. What role is there for archaeology approaching the contemporary, and is there a prospect for a deep and enduring looking into an alternative, otherwise world building?