Muddy shorts. Bird nests. Artists' sketches. Curator's notes. Fragments of hard candy. Installation models.

The Mattress Factory's Active Archive chronicles the artwork, documentation and objects, that capture the museum’s evolution in Pittsburgh, PA over the past 40 years — and to record its story in real time for decades to come.

Together, these records tell the history of the Mattress Factory, its impact on contemporary installation and performance artworks, and the development of these ephemeral art forms. Four decades of museum history and site-specific artwork has been preserved and digitized, which includes 15,000 images, AV assets, documents, anecdotes—and muddy shorts and bird nests.

The Mattress Factory was founded in 1977, by artists, to support artists working in residence to create site-specific installations. Since then, the museum has presented and commissioned new installation and performance works by more than 650 artists. The museum supports established and emerging artists through a residency program that provides leadership, guidance, resources and opportunities to create artwork that is unconventional, challenging and thought-provoking. The museum’s flexibility and inventiveness allows artists to respond to developments in technology, explore audience interaction, and challenge traditional artistic ideals and practice.

The Mattress Factory has pioneered the development of alternative art forms through site-specific installations, video, and performance art. It is nationally and internationally recognized as a leader in site-specific, contemporary art and is notorious for pushing the boundaries of both artist and viewer. The unparalleled support that artists receive from the Mattress Factory, while working in residence, often result in the production of extraordinary artwork that propels the artist’s career and significantly impacts the field of contemporary art. Mattress Factory exhibitions present new works by critically-acclaimed regional, national and international artists and the museum's exhibitions appear in publications like The New York Times, Art in America, Art Asian/Pacific, and the Wall Street Journal, among many others.

With the Active Archive app you can delve into this history at home or in the museum. When used within the museum the app will automatically update as you move, displaying works executed in the spaces your traverse. Browsing the Active Archive in a variety of ways allows you to discover new content and gain a broader sense of what is contained in the archival collections, all while providing a holistic view of the museum.

Explore the Active Archive through the following categories:

• Artists
• Exhibitions
• By building and floor
• Search text

This app was developed with generous support from the United States Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS)