RCSD invites the public to join TWO events to launch a new book “The Social Life of Teak,” authored by Tim Webster & Virginia Henderson, published by River Books.
The first event will be a book launch with exhibitions and refreshments on Wednesday, 22 November starting at 5:30 pm at the EFEO Chiang Mai.
The next day, Thursday, 23 November starting at 1:30 pm all are invited to the 4F meeting room at the Faculty of Social Sciences, Chiang Mai University for a half-day workshop and roundtable discussion with the book authors, historians, academics and researchers, delving into a fuller look at the political, economic, cultural and social context surrounding teak and human relations around teak over time.
In their book, Tim and Virginia have traced human interactions with the world’s most famous tropical timber species and maps worlds revolving around teak forests, trees and wood. In this illustrated anthology of oral histories, people connected personally or professionally to teak speak of survival, change and learning, creativity and destruction, growth and demise. Woven together, these experiences bring to light the ways that teak has been sought, crafted, cultivated, traded and valued over time. Exploring teak’s significance highlights processes of consumption and commodification, inviting questions about our relationships with nature and the politics of value. Charting the domestication of wilderness and exposing the era of extinction of a feted natural resource, this book seeks to stimulate conversations about our role as nature’s most troublesome offspring.
The book launch at EFEO will feature short a video presentation and small exhibition from Inson Wongsam, a Thai national artist renowned for his work using teak, as well as a collection of Tim Webster's images from the book. Beverages and refreshments will be served; please register online at the link below for either or both events on the 22nd and 23rd!
https://cmu.to/Social-Life-of-teak
