Monument Lab

A roster of 22 artists, hailing from Philadelphia and from locations around the world, who will create temporary public art in 10 locations across the city for Monument Lab this fall.

The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) will serve as a central data processing center and outpost for Monument Lab, with visually dynamic displays of incoming public proposals and data.

Monument Lab is a nine-week citywide public art and history project co-produced by Mural Arts Philadelphia and curators Paul Farber, Ken Lum, and A. Will Brown. The exhibition will take place in the city's five original William Penn squares as well as five neighborhood parks throughout Philadelphia.

PAFA will be the central hub for the project, where all the proposals for Philadelphia monuments of the future, generated around the city during the project, will be scanned and exhibited, culminating in a new museum of ideas and creative data, built by and for the people.

In addition to world-renowned artist Ai Weiwei, some of the highlights include: Tania Bruguera creating a monument to the “new immigrant,” Mel Chin making a monument for “me and you,” Tyree Guyton tackling opioid addiction and recovery, Sharon Hayes addressing the lack of women in public art, Jamel Shabazz recognizing African American veterans, and Zoe Strauss asking questions about ownership of public space. The complete list of artists is below.

What makes a monument in the 21st Century? Mural Arts Philadelphia has invited 22 artists to answer this question for the current city of Philadelphia with an unprecedented series of temporary installations in Philadelphia’s parks by local and international artists. The public art will be accompanied by interactive pop-up “laboratories” for creative conversations and research collected by youth art guides. During open hours, staff will be present at all labs to distribute information, answer questions, prompt participation, and collect submissions from members of the public.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website