“Same Old Story: Agential Realism in the Study of Colonial Histories” presented by Sepúlveda and Rashtian
Symposium:
Session Title:
- Architectures – Territories (full papers)
Presentation Title:
- Same Old Story: Agential Realism in the Study of Colonial Histories
Presentation Subtheme:
- Symbiotic Organisation
Presenter(s):
Venue(s):
Abstract:
What are the possibilities of accessing the reality of history? How can we read history and what can we learn from it? In this paper, I will try to contemplate these questions by putting my ongoing research-creation project titled Same Old Story (2020-present) in conversation with literature to expand its theoretical framework.
Informed by the ideas of U.S. feminist theorist Karen Barad about “agential realism”, I will elaborate on how this concept can be adopted in the study of history. To do so, after an introductory literature review, I will start with a detailed description of the project. Further, I will expand on the theory involved in Same Old Story under the three themes of Archive/Memory, Architecture, and Monument/Counter-Monument. These themes are chosen for discussion because Same Old Story incorporates them in its structure. Building from this discussion, I will elaborate on how to further expand my work, focusing on the possibilities and limits of revitalizing embodied realities in historical events and learning from them.
