Confederate statues that ignited nationwide protests, including the deadly 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, have been melted down and transformed into art pieces now on display in a Los Angeles exhibition, marking a pivotal moment in reckoning with America’s racial history.
The “Monuments” exhibition, opening on October 23, 2025, at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) and The Brick in Los Angeles, features 18 decommissioned Confederate monuments alongside contemporary artworks. Curated by Hamza Walker, the show aims to reframe these symbols of white supremacy within an artistic context, sparking dialogue on their legacy. By placing historic statues in conversation with modern pieces, the exhibit challenges viewers to confront the ongoing impact of racism and the power of public symbols in shaping collective memory. This innovative approach transforms spaces of veneration into sites of critical reflection and education.
Among the most prominent pieces is the melted-down bronze from the Robert E. Lee statue in Charlottesville, Virginia, which was removed in 2021 after years of legal battles and secretly melted in 2023. The statue, once a focal point for white nationalist rallies, is now displayed as ingots and barrels of toxic slag, symbolizing a purification from its harmful historical narrative. Nearby, the equestrian statue of Stonewall Jackson has been radically altered by artist Kara Walker into “Unmanned Drone,” a disjointed, zombie-like figure that reimagines the Confederate general as a haunting specter. These transformations underscore the exhibit’s theme of dismantling myths and fostering healing through creative reinterpretation.
The history of these statues is deeply intertwined with racial violence and protest. Erected during the Jim Crow era to reinforce white supremacy, they became flashpoints for conflict, notably in Charlottesville where a 2016 petition by a local teenager sparked removal efforts. The Unite the Right rally in August 2017 turned deadly when a white nationalist drove into counter-protesters, killing Heather Heyer and injuring many others. This tragedy amplified national debates over Confederate symbols, leading to widespread calls for their removal and inspiring similar actions across the United States as communities grappled with their divisive legacies.
Kara Walker’s reworking of the Jackson statue involved cutting it into pieces and reassembling it into a monstrous form, described as a “haint” or ghostly figure to evoke the horrors of slavery and white supremacy. Using 3D scanning and digital modeling, Walker reconfigured the 8,900-pound bronze into a bristling creature with dangling limbs and a faceless head, challenging the idealized portrayal of Confederate leaders. Her work, alongside other pieces, aims to detoxify these monuments by exposing their role in perpetuating racism, offering a visceral reminder of the violence embedded in American history. This artistic intervention serves as a form of cultural medicine, transforming trauma into a catalyst for dialogue and change.
The exhibition also features diverse contemporary artworks that engage with themes of race and justice, such as Hank Willis Thomas’s sculpture of the “General Lee” car from The Dukes of Hazzard, highlighting the persistence of Confederate imagery in popular culture. Other contributions include Karon Davis’s sculpture referencing familial ties to enslavers and Jon Henry’s photographs depicting Black mothers cradling their sons as if deceased, echoing police violence. These works create a multifaceted narrative that connects past injustices to present struggles, emphasizing how art can illuminate systemic issues and foster empathy. The curation deliberately pairs old and new to underscore the continuity of racial challenges and the potential for creative resistance.
Curator Hamza Walker spent eight years acquiring these monuments, with efforts intensifying after the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests, which saw over 150 Confederate statues removed nationwide. The exhibit not only displays the physical objects but also contextualizes their social and political significance, drawing from sources like the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center in Charlottesville. By presenting the statues in a museum setting, stripped of their pedestals and often graffitied or toppled, the show diminishes their power to harm and invites viewers to reconsider their meaning. This recontextualization aligns with broader movements to address historical erasure and promote inclusive public memory.
As the exhibition runs through May, the melted Lee bronze will be repurposed for new public art in Charlottesville, guided by the “Swords into Ploughshares” initiative to promote healing and community engagement. This ongoing transformation reflects a societal shift toward addressing historical wounds through artistic innovation, moving beyond mere removal to active reclamation. The exhibit’s impact extends beyond Los Angeles, inspiring conversations about how societies can confront difficult histories and build a more equitable future, demonstrating the enduring role of art in shaping cultural and political landscapes.