Testament exhibition reimagines monumentality as collective project beyond toxic statues
The exhibition Testament at Goldsmiths CCA in London runs until April 3, 2022, showcasing 47 visionary designs for future monuments that rethink public art. Curated by Dan Hicks, a professor of Contemporary Archaeology at the University of Oxford, it tackles ongoing debates about statues like Cecil Rhodes at Oriel College and Edward Colston in Bristol. Artists such as Tenant of Culture, Stuart Middleton, and Tai Shani challenge traditional ideas of 'toxic monumentality.' One standout piece, Tenant of Culture's Untitled (monument for Oxford Circus) (2021), features a striking 20-meter-high structure made from old trainers. The exhibition also discusses collective memory and critiques from thinkers like Achille Mbembe and Sylvia Wynter, advocating for the removal of oppressive monuments, echoing themes from Hicks's book The Brutish Museums.
Key facts
- Testament is an exhibition at Goldsmiths CCA in London running until 3 April 2022.
- It features 47 artistic proposals for future monuments, focusing on collective memory.
- Artists include Tenant of Culture, Stuart Middleton, Yuri Pattison, Alvaro Barrington, Jeremy Deller, Aaron Ratajczyk, Elizabeth Price, and Tai Shani.
- The show critiques 'toxic monumentality' and 'monohumanism,' referencing debates over statues like Cecil Rhodes and Edward Colston.
- Dan Hicks, curator and Professor of Contemporary Archaeology at the University of Oxford, is involved.
- Works use materials like discarded trainers and decommissioned border control desks to challenge traditional monuments.
- The exhibition contrasts with Unveiled: Berlin and its Monuments at Berlin's Zitadelle.
- It draws on ideas from Achille Mbembe and Sylvia Wynter about 'negative moments' and collective rights.
Entities
Artists
- Antony Gormley
- Tenant of Culture
- Stuart Middleton
- Yuri Pattison
- Alvaro Barrington
- Jeremy Deller
- Aaron Ratajczyk
- Elizabeth Price
- Tai Shani
- Arno Breker
- Nikolai Tomsky
- Ben Okri
- Tupac
- Gary Younge
- Sylvia Wynter
- Achille Mbembe
- Dan Hicks
Institutions
- Goldsmiths CCA
- University of Oxford
- Oriel College
- Zitadelle
- ArtReview
- FT
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom
- Birmingham
- Crosby Beach
- Gateshead
- Oxford
- Berlin
- Germany
- Spandau
- Cape Town
- South Africa
- Bristol
- Heathrow