Monuments erected as a confirmation of power in public places often become the target of destruction after the balance of power has changed. Afterwards, the chance to come to terms with the relevant political events is forfeited.
With “Monument to a Destroyed Monument,” the artist Anna Jermolaewa erected — not without tragedy as well as comedy — a monument for a destroyed monument. The remnants of a former hero who had been toppled were recast in concrete, unmasking strategies of primarily male-dominated historiography. They underline the absurdity in still generally valid, imaginary excesses of power. As a relic of the over-stylization, the pedestal becomes the main protagonist alongside the remainders of the sculpture.
Implemented in cooperation with the University of Graz, the work is not uncoincidentally placed in front of the Institute for History. zeitgeschichtetag.uni-graz
As a co-founder of the magazine “Democratic Opposition,” the artist (born in 1970 in Leningrad, today St. Petersburg) was granted asylum in Austria after facing political persecution.
Location:
Universitätsplatz 5, 8010 Graz
47°04'41.4"N 15°26'53.4"E
