Reimagining the Monument is an exciting new opportunity which represents the first occasion that MA students at Sotheby’s Institute have taken on a ‘real-world’ commission under the guidance of industry experts.
If a ‘monument’ is a work of art that commemorates a notable person or event – what might a monument of the future look like? Who or what would it honour, who would the audience be, and how can we take an active role in shaping public works of art that have significance for a community?
The Reimagining the Monument project seeks to commission an artist to create a participatory project which reimagines the monument and rethinks how monuments are made and perceived. The aim is to monumentalise interaction and connection by examining exchange as a means to nurture reciprocal connections within different communities.
The theme for the project evolved from a series of workshops between an interdisciplinary group of the Institute's MA students, many of whom have their own artistic as well as curatorial or arts management practice.
The project presents the students involved with a unique opportunity to gain experience working on a public art commission with involvement in every aspect of devising, developing, and delivering the project. Engaging with key subjects related to art and power, activism and advocacy, the group will work collaboratively to set forth parameters and expectations that help the commission to take shape.
Developing hands-on project management skills and contacts with art world professionals who will share their own expertise, students will come away from the project having gained invaluable experience to invest in their own future projects. The commission may be delivered in any media, digital, physical or hybrid. It might be object, process or performance-based.
If you’re interested in being a partner for the project, get in touch with Rachel McHale at r.mchale@sothebysinstitute.com.
Keep an eye on the Sotheby's Institute news page for further updates on this exciting student-led commission.