PAPER MONUMENTS

Designer: Colloqate Design (United States); Collaborators: Local civic and cultural organizations; Location: New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Years: 2017–20

Paper Monuments is a public art and history project created after the removal of US Civil War Confederate statues in New Orleans. Designed to elevate untold stories of the city and its inhabitants, particularly communities of color, the project began with an open call to residents to write and sketch monuments they wanted to see in their city. More than 1,200 public proposals were submitted, from people aged 3 to 78, which included a range of suggestions highlighting the city’s culture, displacements, and long-needed historical correctives, as well as expressions of deep love of the place and its people.

Image: Community members complete a Public Proposal form, New Orleans; Credit: Photo by Chris Daemmrich