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Llhuros Symposium 2022 will be a virtual event marking the 50^th anniversary of “The Civilization of Llhuros,” first presented at the Andrew D. White Museum of Art, Cornell University in 1972.

(1) Artifacts from the period of the Decline of Llhuros as seen at the Cornell University exhibition, Andrew D. White Museum of Art, 1972

Created by long-time Cornell University art professor Norman Daly, “The Civilization of Llhuros” is the first multimedia work of archaeological fiction. Since 1972, the installation has been presented at museums in the United States, Germany, Holland and France. In 2019, “Llhuros” was a centerpiece of the 16th Istanbul Biennial.

Norman Daly's 'Civilization of Llhuros' at the Istanbul Biennial 2019 — (2) View of the Civilization of Llhuros installation at the Pera Museum, Istanbul, 2019

The installation was initially accompanied by a remarkable exhibition catalogue that remains a vital element of the whole creation. A 1991 article from the MIT journal Leonardo provides a path-breaking account of the project and its multiple themes. “The Civilization of Llhuros” extensive website provides more information.

Page from the Civilization of Llhuoos catalog, 1972 — (3) Page from the Civilization of Llhuros Catalog, 1972

The symposium will take place virtually on Saturday, October 8, 2022. Organized by University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Professor of Art, Beauvais Lyons, the event will provide an opportunity for artists and scholars to consider “Llhuros” in several contexts. The symposium program sessions will be video-archived on the University of Tennessee School of Art Vimeo Site, as well as this website.

Presentations will be grouped into several themes addressing the history of the exhibition, Daly’s teaching, and projects by artists working in post-Llhuroscian contexts. Antoinette LaFarge, professor of digital media at UC Irvine and author of Sting in the Tale: Art, Hoax and Provocation, will deliver the keynote presentation. Buzz Spector, a colleague of Daly’s at the Cornell University Art Department will serve as the symposium’s discussant. The day-long symposium will conclude with a virtual Llhuroscian cocktail hour.

Banner image: Norman Daly’s ‘Facsimile of a Wall Painting from a Temple on the Bay of Anses’ from the period of Decline of Llhuros. Photo by Linda Fisher. Other image credits (1) photographer unknown (2) Sahir Ugur Eren for Istanbul Biennial (3) Catalog page scan: Lynda A. Thompson, Nita Jager and Marilyn Rivchin, with photos by Marion Wesp and Marilyn Rivchin.

THE SYMPOSIUM HAS CONCLUDED.

But you can view the session videos here!