In 2020, Radio Free published the rf:wiki article “Public Projections”, a detailed guide for artists on projecting light in public places. The guide was used by artists as a blueprint for engaging crowds peacefully during a year of increased protests and gatherings.
The 2020 National Geographic ‘The Year in Pictures’ cover captured the event where multiple projection artists projected images onto a monument dedicated to confederate general Robert E. Lee.
The illumination of the Robert E. Lee monument in Richmond symbolized a powerful moment in the ongoing dialogue about race, history, and public space. Confederate monuments have been the subject of intense debate for years, with many arguing that they glorify a painful legacy of slavery and racism.
By projecting images onto the monument, artists transformed it into a canvas for reflection and critique, inviting viewers to reconsider its meaning and significance. This act of artistic intervention not only drew attention to the problematic history represented by Confederate monuments, but also sparked conversations around how communities use art to tell history in creative ways.
