返向世界：塔琳．賽蒙的調查改寫

Reconnecting to the World: Taryn Simon’s Approaches to Investigation Rewriting

Taryn Simon (1975-) is an American artist renowned for her artistic research which often incorporates photography and narrative texts. In her project, The Innocents, Simon interviewed and photographed individuals wrongfully convicted due to mistaken identification, specifically based on evidence derived from photographs and lineups. Indeed, photographs can be manipulated in various ways. However, there is a growing emphasis on gathering and analyzing empirical evidence, influenced by the culture of investigation. Sociologist Luc Boltanski argues that the perception of truth in an investigation depends on various frameworks—legal, scientific, and societal norms—which shape our collective understanding and perception of“the reality”within our“world”. Based on how reality is framed, an investigative method will bring order to chaos and foster a more ordered world. Nevertheless, Simon challenges the capacity and power of investigation by placing these innocent individuals in crime scenes, impersonating the real criminals, and prompting viewers to question the hidden influence of images. Illuminating her works from different standpoints, this paper employs intertextual theories to analyze Simon’s artistic approaches, which transform and imitate investigative methods. Through her photography, Simon criticizes and rewrites the concept of investigation. Her work serves as a parody of investigations while also facilitating a reconnection with personal real-life experiences and emotions that are often disregarded in the investigation process. Additionally, Simon’s critique of investigative methods prompts a reconsideration of research-based artworks in contemporary art. Overall, this paper explores how Taryn Simon’s critique of investigation methods offer insights into the nature of truth and the role of art in reshaping our understanding of investigations.