Wings of victory
by Ashley Goetz
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What would history look like if it wasn't written by the victors? Would women's achievements be put first? How can we imagine forgotten histories informing a modern world? And how does who we deem "monumental," shape the potentialities of youth today? In this proposal, I will dive deep into these questions and present a monument that embodies the exploration of history itself. I have learned about women who have been erased, forgotten, or actively disremembered throughout history in Dr. Kim's class, Women in Public Art at New York University's Gallatin School of Individualized Study.
From Artemisia II, Cleopatra, to Pompeiian sex workers, Dr. Kim has taught us the slippery slope women walk when being remembered in the ancient world. Cleopatra, in particular, struck a chord in me, as many history books still remember her by Roman scholars' misogynistic writings. Additionally, Dr. Kim exposed us to the reality that the American far-right has mobilized classical Greek representation to reinforce their hateful rhetoric of racial superiority. This saran wrap over history is not acceptable. To resist this hateful molding of history, I want to bring attention to the past's diversity and reexamine history through a feminist lens. My monument will be called 'Wings of History' and aims to cast light upon the idea that history is actively remembered, warped, and curated to influence our perception of our reality today. I want to honor women's stories in the ancient world, and throughout modern history in a feminist specialty: specifically, calling emphasis on acknowledging what we would constitute 'marginalized' identities in today's world. Some examples of women I would like to honor beyond Cleopatra are trailblazing Pan-American feminists Bertha Lutz, Ofelia Domíngez Navarro, Paulina Luisi, Clara González, Marta Vergara, Doris Stevens. In addition, I would like to honor queer identities throughout history like Marsha P. Johnson, Slyvia Rivera, Audre Lorde, and Pompeii's sex workers. Beyond these figures, I would want the monument to be a collaboration between the local community of New York as well as feminist historians.
So what would 'Wings of History' look like? The monument will be set up in Bronx Park, NY, next to the Bronx Zoo. This is a place where passersby and intentional visitors can collect in a space outside of Manhattan. The building will serve as part of the monument, and be ample, dome-like space. It will be a space where participants discover forgotten stories of women throughout history by interacting with it. 'Wings of History' will include a performative aspect, with museum officials lining the walls. They will be part-time actors and part-time curators. When asked questions of how to approach the monument, or interact with it, they will not respond (at least at first). Inside of the building, a pair of giant stone wings, with each feather being carved out with a symbol on it, will make a centerpiece.
Each feather will be a monument to a lost story, a forgotten woman, a story rediscovered. When a visitor engages with the monument, they will be able to take an individual feather and place it upon a projector. This unique feather will be carved with a symbol to honor a particular woman/or a group of women throughout history. The projector will play a three to five-minute engagement with their life. 'Wings of History' hopes to be engaged curiously and interactively. I want my monument to reflect the ways modern individuals engage with the past. I imagine the public engaging with the monument by nominating uncovered stories of women throughout history, and adding recent additions to the piece over time. By participating with the monument as if it is alive, we join the discourse of history. 'Wings of History' will be a space where visitors can understand that history is not just told; it is something to be discovered and rediscovered. History is a living process of excavation and perception.
I want the Bronx community to engage in the decision-making process for "Wings of History" by nominating members of the community's recent past to be part of the monument. The content of each individual feather can reflect the contributions of Bronx-born natives. Additionally, I want the scholarly feminist community of New York to nominate new feathers and curate a storytelling experience that reflects their lives accurately. The potential for excavating new stories, or retelling old ones are endless. Ultimately, I hope to show that history is not a linear path; it is made up of a collection of stories. Some of which are forcibly forgotten. With this monument, I am responding to the problem of material, western representation, as this monument, is ever-changing, interactive, and centered around visual and verbal storytelling. Purposely not just 'set in stone' because the past is interactive, changing, and informs the present by the modalities in which it is told. By unveiling and unearthing the forgotten, this monument gives new meaning to the past. The interactive element allows 'viewers' to become 'actors' to discover forgotten histories: dissolving barriers between the present and past and giving power to self-exploration and curiosity. I hope this monument' Wings of History' gives new meaning to feminist potentialities, by creating a dynamic experience of the past that inspires future generations to explore, and question how it informs the present, and their future.
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