"A story cannot be static...it's constantly readjusting and deviating from the original version, similar to the process of adaptive evolution." 
– Zoe Diao

Deconstructing the notions of storytelling through the lens of post-war artists in London, Curatorial Fellow Zoe Diao shares her findings in a research seminar at Whitechapel Gallery, London. Joined by Whitechapel’s Daskalopoulos Director of Education & Public Programmes, Richard Martin, Zoe examines a breadth of archival material sourced from the Whitechapel Gallery Archive and 

, inviting audiences to participate in an open discussion reflecting on the archival methodologies that have shaped her research. Tracing the mechanisms of memory in reconstructing the narratives and lived experiences of the past, she draws from exhibition texts, readings and artist biographies to piece together the passages of exchange between international and local artists. Furthermore, drawing attention to the absence of East-Asian artists from such records, and delving into the ideologies embedded in art historical readings, she compares stories by Chinese philosopher Li Rong and Italian painter/architect Giorgio Vasari to look at how oral histories are constantly retold, readjusted and reimagined.

Zoe's seminar marks the end of her Fellowship and time spent working in the curatorial and archival departments at Whitechapel Gallery, during which she also worked on exhibitions 

'Galleries in the Groove: Three Visionary Dealers, 1960s-80s'

'A Century of the Artist's Studio 1920-2020'

FilmSTORYTELLING OF ARTISTS IN POST-WAR LONDON, A Research Seminar by Curatorial Fellow Zoe Diao, Whitechapel Gallery, London

Film
STORYTELLING OF ARTISTS IN POST-WAR LONDON, A Research Seminar by Curatorial Fellow Zoe Diao, Whitechapel Gallery, London