The Real Truth. A World's Fair
28 July to 19 August 2012
A project by Suzanne Treister at Raven Row over four weekends featuring four keynote speeches within a specially designed theatre: A global futurist, a U.S. Security Agency insider, an anarcho-primitivist and the international expert on world's fairs... Alongside an exhibition including three unique libraries, two video lounges and designs for a virtual world's fair.
Weekend 28/29 July, 4/5, 11/12, 18/19 August 2012
Saturdays:
3pm: Exhibition open
5–7pm: Lecture/Performance (see below)
7–9pm: Exhibition open
Sundays:
11–6pm: Exhibition open, with screenings of previous lecture/performances
Lectures/Performances
Since London’s Great Exhibition of 1851 world’s fairs have provided a space for nations to represent themselves. They are potent signs of the fantasies, politics and technologies of their times and aspirations for the future. The Real Truth. A World’s Fair exposes aspects of the present and proposes ways into the future.
A contextual introduction will be provided by Robert W. Rydell’s in-depth analysis of the politics and histories of world’s fairs, to be followed by lecture/performances from three visionary speakers: John Zerzan, Jim Channon and Richard Thieme, who actively devote their lives to ideas, visions and projects for the future of the planet.
During the weekends Raven Row's upstairs galleries will house three libraries: A Military/Intelligence Recruitment Library, Fifth Estate Anarchist Magazine 1965–2012 and Jon Bewley’s ‘Conspiracy Theory’ Library. Historical artefacts from world’s fairs, designs for a virtual world’s fair, and memorabilia provided by each speaker will also be displayed. Screenings in the video lounges included Strange Culture by Lynn Hershman Leeson (2007) and Das Netz by Lutz Dammbeck (2003).
The Real Truth. A World’s Fair will provide audiences with extraordinary food for thought and action.
Suzanne Treister is a London-based artist. Her most recent project, ‘HEXEN 2.0’, was shown this year at the Science Museum, London, travelling to Hartware MedienKunstverein, Dortmund; D21, Leipzig; Secession, Vienna and P.P.O.W, New York.
Exhibition view
Photograph by Eva Herzog
New York World’s Fair 1939–40, 1939–40
Silent, colour
28 minutes
The World’s Fair: August 1940, 1940
Silent, colour
4 minutes
To New Horizons, 1940
Silent, colour
23 minutes
The Medicus Collection: New York World’s Fair, 1939–40, 1939–40
Silent, colour; 3 screens
6 hours
Photograph by Eva Herzog
World's fair memorabilia
Collection of Suzanne Treister
Photograph by Eva Herzog
World’s fair postcards, 1900–84
Collection of Suzanne Treister
Photograph by Eva Herzog
World’s fair postcards, 1900–84
Collection of Suzanne Treister
Photograph by Eva Herzog
Wall drawing of Tim Berner's Lee diagram of the World Wide Web
Suzanne Treister
Photograph by Eva Herzog
The Real Truth: A World's Fair, Raven Row, 2012
Photograph by Eva Herzog
Wall drawing
Suzanne Treister
Photography by Eva Herzog
Lutz Dammbeck
Das Netz (The Net), 2003
121 minutes
Photograph by Eva Herzog
The Last Enemy, 2008
BBC television series, 5 episodes
Episode 1; 85 minutes
Episodes 2–5; 65 minutes
Photograph by Eva Herzog
Jon Bewley’s ‘Conspiracy Theory’ Library
Photograph by Eva Herzog
Jon Bewley’s ‘Conspiracy Theory’ Library
Photograph by Eva Herzog
Fifth Estate Magazine (1965–2012) Library
Photograph by Eva Herzog
Fifth Estate Magazine (1965–2012) Library
Photograph by Eva Herzog
Military/Intelligence Recruitment Library
Photograph by Eva Herzog
Peter Foldes
Portrait of Professor Anthony Blunt Reading, 1947
Inkjet print; digital reproduction of oil on canvas
(61 x 50.8 cm)
Courtesy The Courtauld Gallery Collection, London
Photograph by Eva Herzog
Lynn Hershman Leeson
Strange Culture, 2007
75 minutes
Photograph by Eva Herzog
Robert Rydell
Crystal Palaces, Crystal Balls and Crystal-Clear Illusions of Progress:
From World’s Fairs to the World Wide Web
Photograph by Eva Herzog
Robert Rydell
Crystal Palaces, Crystal Balls and Crystal-Clear Illusions of Progress:
From World’s Fairs to the World Wide Web
Photograph by Bernard G Mills
Menu for refreshments following Robert Rydell's talk
Photograph by Bernard G Mills
Refreshments by Ollie Hogan following Robert Rydell's talk
Photograph by Bernard G Mills
Refreshments by Ollie Hogan following Robert Rydell's talk
Photograph by Bernard G Mills
John Zerzan
The Murderous Idolatry of the Future; Anarcho-Primitivism and the End of Technology
Photograph by Eva Herzog
John Zerzan
The Murderous Idolatry of the Future; Anarcho-Primitivism and
the End of Technology
Photograph by Eva Herzog
John Zerzan's memorabilia
Photograph by Eva Herzog
John Zerzan's memorabilia
Photograph by Eva Herzog
Recital from memory of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by Monica Ross
Photograph by Eva Herzog
Jim Channon
Go Planet! A Strategic Visionary Story and Art for the Next
Military Century!
Photograph by Eva Herzog
Jim Channon
Go Planet! A Strategic Visionary Story and Art for the Next Military Century!
Photograph by Eva Herzog
Jim Channon's memorabilia
Photograph by Eva Herzog
Richard Thieme
A Wilderness of Mirrors: Conspiracy Theories and the Necessary
Counter-Intelligence of Everyday Life
Photograph by Eva Herzog
Richard Thieme's memorabilia
Photograph by Eva Herzog
Richard Thieme's memorabilia
Photograph by Eva Herzog