An exercise in role reversal
-
02 November 2024
RELATED:
Book discussion and field excursion with Vo Duy Kim
The program consists of two sessions: a discussion exploring historical truth embedded within interpretations of antiques and ruins in Robert Wood’s The Ruins of Palmyra, and a field trip to the Ho Chi Minh City Museum of History and the COVID-19 Memorial Park to reflect upon, compare, and expand on the earlier discussions.
Robert Wood’s The Ruins of Palmyra, Otherwise Tedmor in the Desart (1753) offers an opportunity to discuss the early stages of modern archaeology, the relationship between books and printing in their relation to societal discourses, the perception of eighteenth-century European travelers towards unfamiliar ruins. It also raises questions regarding the interplay between physical evidence and textual records in establishing historical truth. Regarding historical truth specifically, Wood declares in the book’s opening line: “As the principal merit of works of this kind is truth…” Throughout the volume, his use of historical texts and on-site documentation at Palmyra reaffirms this commitment to truth. In this discussion, we analyzed Wood’s conception of “truth”, the context surrounding the book’s creation, and the epistemological conditions that allowed this “truth” to take shape.
The event is a part of Within & Beyond: A Taxonomy in Exhibition-making – a year-long educational and curatorial initiative spearheaded by Vicky Do and featuring Le Anh Thu, Nguyen Vo Bao Han, and Nhi Phan. Please visit our website for more information: https://nguyenartfoundation.com/exhibi…/within-and-beyond/