"The current administration is trying to turn back the clock to the pre-Civil War era of white supremacy, which will not go well," an attendee said.

by Julia Pierrepont III

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 9 (Xinhua) -- "MONUMENTS," the ongoing exhibition at the Geffen Contemporary at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in Los Angeles, has drawn much attention and sparked public debate over the United States' long-standing issues of race, memory and historical narrative.

Eight years in the making, the exhibition runs from Oct. 23 to May 3 next year. It examines the legacy of "white supremacy" and "black subjugation" by placing contemporary artworks alongside Confederate public monuments originally erected by the side that sparked -- and ultimately lost -- the American Civil War in the 1860s.

The Civil War, fought from 1861 to 1865, pitted the Union, or the North, against the Confederacy, the so-called South, which had seceded from the Union to preserve slavery. The Union states fought to stop the Confederacy and won, preserving the American Union. In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring that all enslaved people in Confederate-held territory were to be freed.

After the war, numerous statues and monuments were built in public spaces across the country to commemorate the conflict. However, research reveals a startling fact: despite the South losing the war and promoting slavery, most public monuments honor Confederate leaders and ideals rather than those of the victorious North.

For many, Confederate monuments have a deeply negative impact on African American communities, serving as daily reminders of a legacy of slavery, segregation and persistent racial injustice.

"Those monuments were erected by desperate Southerners trying to save face from their ignominious defeat and to attempt to rewrite history by characterizing their battle to enslave other human beings as 'noble,' even 'heroic,'" Martin P., a history teacher from Oregon, told Xinhua.

Following racially motivated incidents -- including the 2015 mass shooting at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, the 2017 deadly "Unite the Right" rally organized by white nationalists in Charlottesville, Virginia, and activist Bree Newsome's removal of the Confederate flag from the South Carolina Statehouse in 2015 -- the country witnessed the decommissioning of nearly 200 monuments.

"MONUMENTS" was initially conceived to comment on the growing debate surrounding American monuments that glorify former slave owners. The exhibit further challenges the authority of the traditional white-oriented narrative by reimagining these monuments.

It is also a critique of existing power structures and a call for a more inclusive vision of America. The exhibit foregrounds the voices of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) artists, ensuring that the conversation about race is led by those most affected by its legacy.

Jointly organized by MOCA and The Brick, the exhibition features moments removed from their original outdoor settings and displayed in varying states of transformation, from pristine to heavily vandalized.

Through large-scale installations, multimedia works and participatory pieces, the exhibition prompts audiences to reflect on the narratives that have shaped America's collective memory, particularly those regarding race.

"It's very intense and really important for everyone to see," Mary M., an attendee, told Xinhua as she left the exhibition with tears in her eyes. She said the exhibition contends that monuments are not merely reflections of history, but tools that shape public consciousness, identity and policy -- and can in themselves be tools of oppression.

"As the descendants of the people enslaved, we deserve to have a voice in how history remembers them," Los Angeles resident Shawna J. told Xinhua.

"These monuments are just the tip of the iceberg, revealing just how much racism American culture still feeds us today," added Walter T., another attendee.

"The current administration is trying to turn back the clock to the pre-Civil War era of white supremacy, which will not go well," said Marissa S., a manager in the tech industry.