Tall Tales at the DMA

The significance of an object is directly related to how interesting the object’s story is. Need proof? Just ask Rob Walker. In an experiment designed to explore the importance of narrative in relation to the value of objects, he joined forces with several storytellers and let them spin their tales...

By Jennifer Medina

February 20, 2014

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The significance of an object is directly related to how interesting the object’s story is. Need proof? Just ask Rob Walker. In an experiment designed to explore the importance of narrative in relation to the value of objects, he joined forces with several storytellers and let them spin their tales in an effort to give value to just about anything — which is how a $3 figure of a toe-tapping Russian fetched almost $200 in an eBay auction. Dubbed an object slam and literary smackdown, Walker’s experiment is coming to town with Materially Untrue: Stories About Objects Unearthed from Art Storage. Like Antiques Roadshow for the local literary crowd, it presents four original stories (by Texas authors, or course) about significantly questionable objects found in Dallas Museum of Art storage. Judge their importance for yourself, and maybe come up with a story of your own, at 8 p.m. Friday at the DMA, 1717 North Harwood St. Admission is free. Call 214-922-1200 or visit dma.org.
Fri., Feb. 21, 8 p.m., 2014

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