Recasting the monument for divided times

Oliver Basciano | Art Basel | 10th April 2026

Removing Confederacy statues in the US – and colonial-era statues elsewhere – pinpointed some difficult questions. Should these figures be judged by today’s standards or the standards of their day? “Retain and explain” is now a common approach as is the placement of more relatable figures. Yet controversy continues. The latest experiment will be a work in London’s Trafalgar Square showing an “everyperson” Black woman. Asks one sculptor about such works, “Why are they so controversial?”