“Syncopation” is the first essay in a three-part series by Monument Lab Graduate Researcher Hilary Malson in which she seeks to engage with work from theorists on contested memory and diasporic black geographies. In this piece, Malson examines silence as an action in the production of history.
From September 16–November 19, 2017, the Monument Lab curatorial team and Mural Arts Philadelphia installed temporary prototype monuments by 20 artists across 10 sites in Philadelphia’s iconic public squares and neighborhood parks.
On November 10, 2018, a statue of Christopher Columbus was taken down in LA’s Grand Park, in part thanks to efforts from the Los Angeles’ City/County Native American Indian Commission. Vice Chair Chrissie Castro, shares insights behind the takedown, which was not isolated event, but a larger part of a decades long struggle for advocacy and representation among LA's diverse indigenous communities. She also reflects on her history as an organizer, her work with the city, and the next steps that may follow in response to the takedown.
