Kara Walker's Fons Americanus at Tate Modern critiques British historical amnesia
Kara Walker's Fons Americanus, part of the 2019 Hyundai Commission, was showcased in the Turbine Hall of Tate Modern from October 2, 2019, until April 5, 2020. This 42-foot fountain reinterprets London's Victoria Memorial, addressing issues of drowning, slavery, and colonial brutality. Depicting struggling figures surrounded by sharks, it alludes to the effects of British slave ships on oceanic migration. The installation includes a caricature of Queen Victoria, a hanging tree, a ship's captain, and a slaver, with water cascading from a Venus figure. The lower portion features sculptures inspired by Kathe Kollwitz and Edvard Munch's The Scream. Rianna Jade Parker raised concerns about British artists' access to similar opportunities, while Walker remarked on monuments often fading from visibility, acting as negative reminders of Britain's slave-trading past.
Key facts
- Kara Walker created Fons Americanus for the 2019 Hyundai Commission
- The installation was displayed at Tate Modern's Turbine Hall from October 2, 2019 to April 5, 2020
- The 42-foot-tall fountain reimagines London's Victoria Memorial
- Sharks encircle drowning figures at the sculpture's base
- A caricature of Queen Victoria appears alongside a hanging tree and slaver
- Rianna Jade Parker questioned whether British artists would receive similar commissions
- Walker described monuments as having a peculiar quality of invisibility
- The work addresses Britain's role in the slave trade while celebrating its abolition
Entities
Artists
- Kara Walker
- Rianna Jade Parker
- Botticelli
- Kathe Kollwitz
- Edvard Munch
- Donald Trump
- Boris Johnson
Institutions
- Tate Modern
- ARTnews
- East India Company
- Buckingham Palace
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom
- Ireland
- Bankside
- SE1 9TG