(IN)TANGIBLE HERITAGE(S)

Abstract

In answering the question, “How should digital reconstructions of monuments and buildings be interlaced in material existence?” one compelling answer would be “in living color.” In analyzing the neoclassical architecture dominant on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., very few statues of nonwhite individuals can be seen. Many early city planners thought that not only white people as subjects were best suited for eternal, public remembrance, but also, that the statues themselves should be white. Yet, the original Greco-Roman statues that early American sculptors imitated were indeed full of color as they were painted. Thus, the exclusion and marginalization of certain social groups or individuals from public monument spaces merits reinterpretation especially in light of technology that allows us to reimagine how colorful our cityscapes could truly become. This paper builds upon the concept that statues are by artful design, discursive constructs that keep alive ongoing historical debates: “[statue] designers shape mute materials to evoke people, events, ideas and places from the past to shape the emotions and experiences of audiences in the present” (Stevens and Franck 2016: 139). This paper is in conversation with prior research establishing statues as expressive, informative historical markers that “give meaning to life by providing communities and groups with a way to communicate their traditions and beliefs from generation to generation” (Reynolds 1988: xi). Finally, this paper takes statues seriously “as the most accessible form of art and history,” insofar that they “comprise a unique cultural heritage that gives form and focus to shared values and experiences (Little 1996: 1). Thus, given the involved and intricate history of race relations in the U.S., it is revealing to analyze statues as political tools evidencing and legitimating equitable presence; technology can assist us in reconsidering what our shared heritage should truly look like.