In the context of global crises, the efforts toward decolonizing knowledge, thought, and urban spaces, discussions about the controversial presence of monuments in public spaces have intensified. Worldwide, activists are advocating for more diverse forms of cultural memory and are intervening in historical narratives, whether through the removal of monuments, their installation, or demands for contextualization. Activist and artistic approaches within monument discourses have thus become a significant part of shaping memory politics. These artistic interventions aim to challenge and alter existing nationalist, patriarchal, anti-feminist, or colonial representations of history. Central to these efforts is the question of who remembers what, and how that memory is preserved.

As objects of conflict, monuments take on exemplary roles in public spaces. They are erected to represent and collectively preserve a supposedly eternal recognition. However, particularly in relation to representation, historical context, and societal values, their static appearances evoke ambivalences: Focusing on individual perspectives, these forms of collective memory in public spaces create singular narratives of history that marginalize or ignore other characters, groups, and alternative aspects. As such, remembrance also becomes a question of absence. This one dimensional interpretation of space underscores the assumption of a value system shared by the public. History continues to dominate public spaces, particularly through enduring materials like bronze and marble, strategically placed in prominent locations to subtly reinforce authority. These monuments quietly demand unquestioned legitimacy.

But what happens when the credibility of their legitimacy erodes over time? When the authority they represent becomes brittle or fragile? In such instances, the need for a reinterpretation of history becomes evident, bringing the issue of contextualization to the forefront. Activist movements and artistic interventions engage in discussions about the removal, contextualization, and reinstallation of monuments, highlighting the tensions between different publics, cultures of remembrance, and the representation of complex histories.

The workshop is dedicated to the artistic engagement with monuments and spaces of memory, exploring how art can transform historical narratives and collective memories. It will investigate to what extent public space emerges as a stage for battles over contested remembrance culture and what artistic methods exist for negotiating these memories.

Concept and organization: Marla Heid

The event is funded by the Berlin University Alliance (BUA).

Program