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The Arts Intel Report

Testament

Jan 21 – Apr 3, 2022
St James's, London SE14 6AD, United Kingdom

During the peak of the Black Lives Matter protests, and awash in the first wave of the coronavirus, the world watched as protesters tore down monuments in the world’s major cities. The argument for the destruction was that many statues are symbolic of racism and colonialism, celebrating leaders who owned slaves or stole land or exploited those in other countries. For this exhibition, 47 artists have been asked to evaluate the monument as an idea. What is lost when a monument is removed? What is gained by putting one up? Must you, or can you, please everyone? The artists are displaying “proposal” artworks, spread across the entirety of the CCA building. Names on the roster include Phyllida Barlow, Alvaro Barrington, Oscar Murrillo, and Cerith Wyn Evans. —Elena Clavarino

Tenant of Culture, Untitled, 2021. Digital render by Janne Schimmel.