What are the many meanings of an artwork or artifact when it is displayed in an institutional setting? Is it so important to see the “real” thing? Much has been written about the role of objects as tools for teaching, or about the museum as a kind of classroom, but what about the ontology of the object in the structured particularity of a museum context? This question has become increasingly important as the nature of what constitutes a “real” thing is constantly changing. Recent developments in technology, advances in AI, and even social movements have raised questions about how objects should be displayed and contextualized, or even what constitutes a museum.

On this first day of the symposium, two keynote speakers will examine the rapidly changing landscape of virtual visual realities.

Introduction
Gregory Warden, Mark A. Roglán Director, Custard Institute for Spanish Art and Culture, and Emeritus Professor of Art History, SMU

The Distributed Museum: How Objects Matter
Anne Balsamo, arts and humanities distinguished university chair, University of Texas at Dallas

The Invisible Museum: Performing Objects in Between AI and Human Brains
Maurizio Forte, William and Sue Gross Distinguished Professor of Classical Studies and of Art, Art History, and Visual Studies, Duke University

Free, but does not include museum admission; advance registration is required for each day’s session.