Reading and Dialogue Series: Đọc Đô Thị *02

Registration link: https://forms.gle/ttXohQ9tA5FYk7oZ7

Most of us move through life with the belief that we have a clear understanding of what is "real." This belief is shared by the people around us: friends, family, and those we live alongside; reinforced by the media, scientists, and teachers; and even validated by religious authorities. As we grow older, we continue to absorb what society defines as reality. As we move through different stages of life, many of us become increasingly certain of our own ontological perspectives, eventually feeling comfortable believing that these learned ways of seeing are simply "natural" and therefore must be shared by all of humanity.

Ethnographic research, however, reveals a very different reality. Our own ontological perspectives are merely one among thousands of ways of defining human existence, ways that help us adapt to and live in harmony with the environments surrounding us, while also making sense of the seemingly inexplicable mysteries of both the natural and spiritual worlds. (Excerpt from Causey, 2016, p.25)

In the second edition of the Đọc Đô Thị series, participants will be introduced to the idea of "drawing as an ethnographic method" and explore how ethnographers document reality. Through drawing, fieldwork, discussion, and reflection, participants will examine how each person's way of seeing contributes to shaping our shared reality.

Discussion - Fieldwork - Drawing Schedule:

Session 1 (November 1, 2026): Looking Back
Session 2 (November 8, 2026): Looking In
Session 3 (November 15, 2026): Looking Down
Session 4 (November 22, 2026): Looking Up
Session 5 (November 29, 2026): Kiến Mơ Sắc (co-facilitated by Chòi Chơi Project)

Discussion location: Sài Gòn / Đa Kao Ward, HCMC (the specific address will be sent via email).

Fieldwork locations: Bình Quới Tây Communal House, Bạch Đằng Creative Park, and old Sài Gòn apartment buildings.

A perspective on "Drawing as an ethnographic method":

A drawing page gives the artist the freedom to add or remove elements, build upon a drawing over different periods of time, or include details beyond what is immediately visible. Drawing can expand or compress perspectives of reality; it can depict imagined things such as dreams and emotions, as well as "events that provoke drama and conflict." At the same time, it can incorporate countless systems of notation beyond purely visual language, from words, numbers, and punctuation to familiar symbols such as arrows and lines indicating movement.

When an event or image remains vivid in the mind, even only as fragmented pieces, it can still be reconstructed through drawing from any perspective we can imagine, as many times and in as many ways as we wish. Drawing, as an ethnographic method, not only complements the pedagogical precision of writing but also enhances the ability of other visual methods to document social and cultural life. (Excerpt from Causey, 2016, p.36)

About the program:

"Đọc Đô Thị" is a peer-based reading and discussion space where participants read selected materials in advance and come together to explore academic perspectives in greater depth during each session. The series was initiated and is led by Trần Đăng Khoa, a graduate in Urban Studies, who designs the activities, facilitates discussions, and connects diverse perspectives throughout the program. The series aims to create an interdisciplinary environment for dialogue, expanding on ideas from books and examining them more closely through the lens of everyday urban development.

Source:

Andrew Causey. 2016. Drawn to See: Drawing as an Ethnographic Method. University of Toronto Press

The embossed-pattern image used in the design is taken from Figure 6.4: Carol Hendrickson's drawing of people dancing in Cuba, ibid.

Tempo Nexus
x Trần Đăng Khoa
x Chòi Chơi Project