Events

Event Description

Is a Monument a Text?

Religious Studies Talk with Donovan Schaefer

Is a monument a text? What does a statue mean? How does sculpture signify? This talk will explore how the monumental built environment shapes public life. I propose that we need to move on from the framework of symbolic meaning that is commonly used to explain material culture. Instead, statues conduct power by operating on the register of feeling. This talk will look at the way racialized dynamics of shame and dignity play out around Confederate monuments like Richmond’s Monument Avenue and the Robert E. Lee monument in Charlottesville.