The Truth Trophy Fred Wilson Summary

Fred Wilson retrieves forgotten African-American artifacts in an effort to bring to light a history that has been deliberately excluded. He obtains these objects from the Maryland Historical Society’s collection and displays them in a museum. They are arranged and presented in specially painted rooms with silkscreened wall text, labels, and audiovisual material which ultimately calls attention to the biases that generally underlie historical exhibitions. Other similar works include “Le Vide,” “Raid the Icebox 1 with Andy Warhol,” and “The Play of the Unmentionable.” Their effort reflects the larger struggle being played out in society as a whole. The author believes that this one in particular succeeds in circumventing its own polemical potential and is set apart from other similar works because of its optimistic act of consciousness-raising. One of the works, the “Truth Trophy” challenges the assumption that surround the ordering and presentation of history. In the middle of this installation is a globe contained in Plexiglas. On one side of the globe there are three white pedestals with sculptures of white historical figures. On the other side there are three empty black pedestals. He makes the link between historical accuracy and the portrayal
I like the comparison between truth and advertising versus the portrayal of things and the historical accuracy of things. The way things are presented in the space of a museum is extremely important and often overlooked. The inclusion or exclusion of something as well as the way items are arranged have a significant impact on what the viewer takes away from something. By re-organizing collections he draws attention to the bias and whitewashing within museums. The way in which he draws attention to something that is often hidden, and brings that to the forefront is extremely