“Take Lee Down”, watercolor, paper, 452x184 cm, The Anderson Gallery, Richmond, Virginia, USA, 2022
On Wednesday, September 8, 2022, the state of Virginia removed the 12-ton statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee more than 130 years after it was installed in Richmond. A watercolor series on the demolition records the erasure of the Confederate general’s name from history and his projected plunge into oblivion. Instead of the disgraced politician’s figure, the community of Richmond uncovered two separate time capsules, buried in the statue’s pedestal and the earth below, respectively, with a selection of books, notes, currency and cards. To commemorate the political progress, the city decided to place another time capsule in the monument’s location, consisting of a photograph of a black ballerina, Kente cloth worn at the 400th commemoration of 1619, “Stop Asian Hate” fliers, LGBTQ pride pins, an ERA sash and an expired vial of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.
In this work, Muromtseva expands on her exploration of the politics and subjectivity of memory, a concept that has remained central to her practice over the last 5 years. Unlike most of her work, usually based on interviews and testimonies, the artist was present for this specific rerouting of history along with a crowd of Richmond’s residents. In a filmic sequence, Muromtseva depicts all key stages of the process — the dismantling of the statue, the crane, and the empty pedestal.
Photo credits: Terry Brown
“New York City Dogs”, watercolor, paper, ink, 2022, 38x57 cm each work
As the summer of 2022 descended upon me, I found myself immersed in the bustling streets of New York City. Seeking to uncover the secrets of Harlem, my new home, I took to the sidewalks to engage with the locals. It was through my simple but profound inquiries about the dogs they walked that I began to unravel the fabric of this vibrant community. With each conversation, I gained a deeper understanding of the city's heartbeat, and the colorful characters that brought it to life.
