Memorialization, Monuments, & Memory

The Union League of Philadelphia
​Philadelphia, PA

Monuments MEMORIALZE the past.
They are created to remember important people and events--in memory and myth. What if these stories misrepresent historical truths?
Monuments ENDURE into the future.
They are built to last many years, even centuries. What happens when monuments no longer reflect a community's shared values?

These questions and more are tackled in Carved in Stone: American Monuments, Myths, & Memory developed in collaboration with the Union League of Philadelphia. As an organization born of the Civil War and dedicated to preserving its memory, the Union League found itself uniquely positioned to reflect on recent Confederate monument controversies, and those touching on other problematic historic figures. From the American Revolution, to the Civil War, to contemporary figures, this exhibition reflects on how we as a culture and society decide what to memorialize and how. 

in collaboration with Keith Ragone Studio