On Robert Wood’s The Ruins of Palmyra (1753) and the Problem of Claiming the Truth
09 AM – 12 PM, 14 Aug 2026
Language: Vietnamese
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From the organizer:
Nguyễn Art Foundation (NAF) cordially invites you to a book discussion and field excursion led by PhD candidate and architect Võ 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 a designated relic site 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 will analyze 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.
Vo Duy Kim is a second-year Ph.D. student in Architecture, Landscape Architecture, and Urban Planning at Harvard University. His research focuses on the tension between modernization and the musealization of the architectural site on the Italian peninsula during the 19th century; the discrepancies in historical interpretation between textual records and physical evidence derived from European excavations and expeditions; and the influence of scientific methodology on observation and documentation in modern architectural practice. Kim has also conducted research on topics related to the history of European publications, archaeology, museology, botany, Italian painting and sculpture, and the representation of the human body in European art and science.
Kim graduated with Honors from the Harvard Graduate School of Design with a Master in Design Studies (Narratives) degree. He received his professional architectural training at the University of Architecture Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam) and earned a Master of Architecture degree from the University of Melbourne (Australia). At the University of Melbourne, he coordinated foundational design courses for first-year students and co-taught master’s-level architectural design studios.
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