Norman Daly’s fascination with the convergence of art, anthropology, and archaeology spurred a distinctive venture, giving rise to the imaginative civilization of Llhuros. Positioned in Asia Minor, east of the Iron Age kingdom of Lydia (now western Turkey), Llhuros materialized through Daly’s curation of a collection of archaeological artifacts. This assortment included frescoes, architectural fragments, vessels, ritual implements, jewelry, games, and musical and scientific instruments. The diverse tapestry of Llhuros comprised over 150 pieces of visual art, ranging from small scientific instruments to an expansive 8′ by 36′ temple wall in bas-relief. Daly delved into Llhuroscian poetry, collaborated on recording Llhuroscian music, and created a complex universe of scholars and commentators who shared insights on various facets of Llhuros.
In 1972, the Andrew Dickson White Museum of Art at Cornell hosted the inaugural exhibition of “The Civilization of Llhuros.” The exhibition catalog convincingly mimicked the style of an archaeological exposition, complete with illustrations and meticulous historical and technical details. The ingenious blend of fabricated archaeology and meticulous presentation as actual history solidified “The Civilization of Llhuros” as a quintessential example of fictive art, often referred to as superfiction.
Throughout the early 1970s, the project gained extensive exposure through exhibitions across the United States, culminating in a significant presentation alongside Projekt ’74 at the Roman-Germanic Museum in Cologne in 1974. After this pivotal moment, Daly shifted his focus to other projects, but substantial components of Llhuros resurfaced at the Herbert F. Johnson Museum at Cornell in 2004.
In 2017, Llhuros experienced a revival with select objects showcased in the Plurivers exhibition at Panacée in Montpellier, France. Capitalizing on this momentum, a complete installation of “The Civilization of Llhuros” took center stage at the Istanbul Biennial in 2019, curated under the guidance of esteemed French curator and critic Nicolas Bourriaud.
In 2021, Antoinette LaFarge, a practitioner of fictive art, published “Sting in the Tale: Art, Hoax and Provocation,” identifying “The Civilization of Llhuros” as a prototype in the fictive art genre, underscoring its trailblazing significance.
