Contested Site or Reclaimed Space? Re-membering but Not Honoring the Past on the Empty Pedestal

Debates over contested monuments often focus on the statue, but the pedestal also has significance. In May 2017, the New York City Mayoral Advisory Commission on City Art, Monuments, and Markers recommended removing the controversial figure of Dr. J. Marion Sims. The base however, was left behind. The separation of sculpture from pedestal creates a space to research, document, commemorate and talk about the interruption of memory. In January 2019, undergraduate students created augmented reality images on the Sims pedestal to “bring to life” their interpretations that are not (yet) part of the prevailing history. The resulting images create another platform for exploring difficult histories in relation to present injustices.