Ordinary Form, Radical Ideology: An Exhibition that Decolonizes the Historical Narratives of America's Expansion

Abstract

The exhibition “The Legend of the Town Center: Ordinary Form, Radical Ideology” examines and critiques the historical narratives and architectural forms that made colonizing what was once designated “Indian Territory” possible. This act of colonization—the taking of Tribal land, the erasure of Tribal culture, and replacing it with new pioneer narratives—wasaccomplished in part by way of designing and constructing towns that were used, in conjunction with land runs, to impose new power and ideologies on this territory. The exhibition uses case studies, large-scale detailed plans, and speculative modelsas tools for analyzing and critiquing the histories of towns in Oklahoma, specifically the main streets that were at the center of the communities that made these towns possible. What results is just a beginning, a starting point for retelling this particular phase of America’s expansion through the lens of architectural knowledge and methodologies.