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One of Britain’s most famous sculptors proposed a novel solution to Controversial statue of Cecil Rhodes Above Oxford University College: Make colonialists face the wall in shame.
Sir Anthony Gormley, known for his high-profile public art works such as “Angel of the North”, told the Financial Times that giving Rhodes a turning point would help solve the “collective amnesia” of such memorials. Face the inequality of the country’s past empires.
“Rhodes should stay in his place,” Gormley said, refuting the argument that the 19th-century imperialists were removed from the facade of Oriel College. “If we need to re-process our relationship with him, I will only let him face the wall instead of outward.”
Gormley said that the adjustment of his position would mark a “recognition of collective shame,” but it also “reaffirmed the fact that Oriel College and many institutions have Rhodes’ wealth.”
The statue has been the subject of six years of fierce quarrels between the anti-colonialist Rhodes Must Fall Movement, a divided university, and ministers who firmly opposed the demolition of such “historical monuments.” The college decided last week to keep the statue in place.
Gormley made a standing bronze statue overlooking another part of Oxford, and he described that moment Statue of Edward Colston the Slave Trader “Dunk and recovery” from the Port of Bristol last year as a kind of “baptism.” But he is still cautious about moving the controversial monument to the museum.
“Public statues will soon have collective amnesia. I think asking again “Who are these people and why are they here?” “It’s not a bad thing. But by removing them, you accept amnesia,” he said.
Rhodes founded the Rhodesia and De Beers Diamond Company, and used part of his wealth accumulated in Africa to support Oxford University and set up scholarships of the same name for beneficiaries such as former US President Bill Clinton.
Critics say his record of exploiting black workers and laying the foundation for apartheid in southern Africa should be condemned, not respected.
Faced with last year’s street protests against the statue, Oriel’s governing body initially Vote for deleting it An independent committee was formed to discuss the issues raised by his legacy and memorial.
But after the committee’s report was completed, Oriel changed his strategy last week and decided to keep the monument. It cited the cost of obtaining planning permission, which would be lengthy and may be blocked by the local government secretary of state Robert Jenric.
Committee’s 114-page report Oriel’s exploration options This includes moving the statue of Rhodes indoors, leaving the niches vacant, or commissioning new artworks to fill the space.
The Conservative MP Sir John Hayes, who chaired the “Common Sense Panel” of Parliament, welcomed Gormley’s argument for retaining the statue, but called the idea of reversing it “completely weird.” “This is as close to the mainstream view as my view of abstract expressionism,” he said.
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