Second Online Lecture: Public monuments, memory & identity: a discussion across borders

Public monuments, memory and identity: a discussion across borders

Many statues and monuments related to historical figures and events connected to the histories of colonialism have had an important role during the recent Black Lives Matter demonstrations. Statues have been toppled or defaced in different cities around the world, as a way of protesting, challenging and changing present-day narratives, perspectives about the past and commemorative traditions. 

 

During this lecture, we aim to reflect on the role of statues and monuments in the public space in the context of contemporary identity politics in three European countries with long-lasting colonial histories: the Netherlands, the UK and Portugal. What function have statues and monuments served historically and continue to serve (or not) in our postcolonial present? What does it mean to destroy statues or to build new ones? Why have they taken on such an important role during the recent protests? To explore questions such as these, we have invited four speakers to engage in a conversation with each other, the moderators (Sofia Lovegrove and Remco Vermeulen) and the audience. We hope that by looking at different contexts together, and from the perspective of different disciplines, we can contribute to recent and ongoing discussions about these topics. 

We are happy to announce the following confirmed speakers: Ann Rigney, Beatriz Gomes Dias, Bruno Sena Martins, Nancy Jouwe and Rebecca Senior.