How We Listen Series
Oral History Archives at Columbia is thrilled to unveil a groundbreaking addition to our holdings—the MINUTIAE app archival collection. This is the first time Columbia University Libraries have documented the complete lifecycle of a mobile application, preserving an entire digital artifact for future scholarship.
The Collection Includes
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The User Experience: A custom‑built version of MINUTIAE installed on an iPhone, displaying the full 1,440‑day photo cycles of eleven participants. A printed book presents one participant’s complete visual journey.
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Oral Histories with the Artists: In‑depth interviews with Adolfsson and Wilson exploring the app’s origins, design philosophy, and development process.
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Preserving the Code: The app’s source code is stored in a restricted repository, safeguarding its technical architecture for long‑term study.
Born out of conversations at the New Museum’s New INC incubator, MINUTIAE pushes back against the curated, algorithm‑driven nature of mainstream social media. By limiting daily capture to a single minute and removing social feedback loops, it offers a minimalist, intentional approach to documenting daily life—an invaluable case study for scholars of digital culture, media studies, and personal archiving.
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Created in 2017 by artists Martin Adolfsson and Daniel Wilson.
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Marketed as an “anti‑social app,” it asks users to snap one photo during a single‑minute window each day.
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The app’s minimalist design deliberately omits profiles, likes, and comments, encouraging a shared, intentional record of everyday life across the globe.
Who Should Attend?
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Students and faculty in Media Studies, Digital Humanities, Art History, and Computer Science.
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Librarians, archivists, and preservation specialists interested in mobile app stewardship.
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Anyone curious about alternative social media models and the future of personal digital archives.
Don’t miss this chance to hear directly from the creators, explore a unique digital collection, and discuss the implications of “anti‑social” design in today’s hyper‑connected world.
