Monumental Gravity
In an act of defiance, activists, responding to the anticipated visit of King Felipe VI of Spain to Puerto Rico, toppled the statue of Juan Ponce de León—the island's first Spanish governor—at the San José Square in Old San Juan during the early morning hours of January 24, 2022. The immediate restoration of the statue before the king's visit by local officials starkly highlighted the persistence of old narratives. Such an event can only lead us to grapple with fundamental questions: How should a monument stand? Who is deemed worthy of one? And who holds the power to decide?
Monuments—from sculptures to public spaces—reinforce specific versions of history, seemingly destined to replay themselves, urging a critical evaluation of how we balance progress with historical remembrance and navigate the tension between envisioning new possibilities and preserving the past.
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Year: 2023-Ongoing
Medium: Lightjet color photographs on matte paper
Dimensions: 24" x 36"
