intervention

Rethinking Monuments

In the summer of 2020, after the killing of George Floyd sparked nationwide protests and a focus on monuments, the bust of Robert E. Lee in downtown Fort Myers was removed and placed in storage, leaving the empty pedestal with the dedication inscription remaining. In response, I made a 3d silhouette cutout with megaphones declaring “Black Lives Matter” which I placed on top to repurpose the monument. By morning the piece had been removed but was photographed at the base, along with some protest signs, for a report on discussions about the monument at both the City Council and County Commission meetings.