#177
The Statue of Catherine II ‘the Great’ or the Monument to the Odessa Founders
Ukraine
By Olivia Durand •
Ukraine By Olivia Durand May 2022… Read More
Ongoing
#40
Sebastián de Belálcazar Statue in Popayán
Colombia
By Contested Histories Initiative •
The statue of Sebastian de Belalcazar, erected in 1940 in Popayan, Colombia, was torn down in September 2020 during a wave of protests. Local indigenous communities had long considered the statue as the embodiment of the city’s colonial past, and a symbol of the continued impact on their lived experience. Read More
#325
King Frederik V Bust in Copenhagen
Denmark
By Contested Histories Initiative •
In autumn 2020 a bust of the 18th century King of Denmark and Norway Frederik V mysteriously disappeared from its pedestal at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. It was later found to have been thrown into the canals of Copenhagen in a filmed protest by a group of… Read More
#168
Redvers Buller Statue in Exeter, England
United Kingdom
By Jade •
Following the 2020 Black Lives Matter Protests, the statue of General Redvers Buller was reviewed by the Exeter City Task Force and slated for removal. This was due to Bullers controversial historical role in the South African War (1899-1902). This decision to remove the statue received mixed reactions and spurred… Read More
#225
Sculpture for Mary Wollstonecraft in London, England
United Kingdom
By Contested Histories Initiative •
A sculpture named A Sculpture for Mary Wollstonecraft, stands on Newington Green in London. It sparked controversy following its unveiling on November 10, 2020, as some argued that the depiction of the nude ‘everywoman’ failed to commemorate the proto-feminist philosophies of Wollstonecraft in a respectful manner. A lack of public… Read More
#228
J. Marion Sims Statue in New York
United States of America
By Jade •
In Central Park in New York, New York, a statue of physician J. Marion Sims was raised in 1934. Sims was credited with highly impactful procedures in gynaecology; However, many of these procedures were generated by conducting surgery on enslaved Black women without anaesthesia. Local activists began calling for the… Read More
#30
Plaza Baquedano & General Baquedano Monument in Santiago
Chile
By Jade •
Plaza Baquedano at the centre of Santiago was traditionally the central meeting point for protests and celebrations in the Chilean capital. Since the outbreak of social protests in October 2019, the square and its monument became a central focal point. The protestors have tried to rename the square to Plaza… Read More
#144
Valley of the Fallen in Madrid
Spain
By Jade •
The Valley of the Fallen in Madrid was built in the 1940s by order of dictator Francisco Franco and, was in part, built by forced labour from political prisoners. Its aim was to be a mausoleum for victims of the Civil War from the Francoist side but at the end… Read More
#90
Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo
Japan
By Jade •
The Yasukuni Shrine, originally established in 1869, became controversial after the Second World War when 14 Class A War Criminals were enshrined at the site. Aside from the 14 war criminals, over 2.5 million souls are preserved at Yasukuni. Visits by Japanese leadership to the shrine have resulted in difficult… Read More
#54
#142
Statue of Peace in Seoul
South Korea
By Jade •
The Statue of Peace in Seoul, South Korea, is among the most iconic and contested statues dedicated to ‘comfort women’, a euphemism for women who were sexually exploited by the Japanese military during the Second World War. Since its unveiling in 2011, the statue has been a source of ongoing… Read More
#101
Monument to Absence in Mexico City
Mexico
By Jade •
The Monument to Absence commemorates the 1968 Tlatelolco Massacre when governmentforces opened fire on a student protest at Mexico City’s Plaza de las Tres Culturas (Square of theThree Cultures). The monument was created in collaboration with the Executive Commission forAttention to Victims (CEAV) and the University Cultural Centre Tlatelolco (CCUT). Read More