Monuments distinctly separate themselves from other artworks in public space through their designated function. Essentially, their role is to shape and perpetuate the collective memory of a society. They are tasked with not only serving as reminders but also contributing to the perception of power. This authoritative impression is particularly evident in their enduring continuity. The solid and unwavering presence of these objects is further emphasized by their materiality and an enlarged scale—materials like granite, marble, bronze, and lead ensure the seemingly eternal existence of these larger-than-life statues.
In the wake of postcolonial actions, the future of controversial monuments of historical figures and their permanent representation in public spaces triggers political debates about preservation, removal, and the method of artistic contextualization of these visual representations. Through artistic contextualization, the monument, as an already existing object, becomes the material of artistic creation and simultaneously an intervention in public space. This form of artistic appropriation as a means of production and interpretation explores how public space can become a site for discourse and reflection on history. In what confrontational forms can art encounter history? How can we acknowledge the emotional and nationalist role that monuments often play while advocating for an inclusive reckoning with history? What correlations exist between considering artistic intervention as a dynamic, temporary contribution in public space, as opposed to the monument as a permanent, static institution? What does this form of artistic appropriation of existing objects in public space mean for the artistic discourse?
The dissertation project critically engages with the method of artistic contextualization of public artworks, predominantly monuments, and places them as interventions in public space within an art-historical and political context. To achieve this, artistic proposals for the contextualization of monuments are analyzed, and functional as well as innovative ways to rethink and historicize the past are discussed.