On the Semiotics of Monuments
"Always consider the effect the future will have on your work."
Little did the artist of the Robert E. Lee monument realize that ninety years later there would be such fierce controversy.
At the core, this is about the semiotic power of art, but since monuments are usually culturally inert, we never consider it. It is widely believed that art should display itself, and no previous knowledge is necessary, but in some extreme cases it is. Sculptors are in their hands not their minds, but perhaps they should be. Trump commented that the confederate monuments were beautiful and should not be moved/removed. That might not be the artists' view, but it's a moot point. As it is now possible to digitally 'remix' them, they should leave the plinth, and let artists re-contextualize them with historical overlays, possibly with AR.
Little did the artist of the Robert E. Lee monument realize that ninety years later there would be such fierce controversy.
At the core, this is about the semiotic power of art, but since monuments are usually culturally inert, we never consider it. It is widely believed that art should display itself, and no previous knowledge is necessary, but in some extreme cases it is. Sculptors are in their hands not their minds, but perhaps they should be. Trump commented that the confederate monuments were beautiful and should not be moved/removed. That might not be the artists' view, but it's a moot point. As it is now possible to digitally 'remix' them, they should leave the plinth, and let artists re-contextualize them with historical overlays, possibly with AR.
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