These confederate statues caused nationwide protests. Melted down, they're now art pieces

October 19, 2025

A Los Angeles museum exhibition titled "Monuments" showcases 18 decommissioned Confederate monuments alongside contemporary art pieces, including the melted-down bronze from Charlottesville's controversial Robert E. Lee statue. The exhibition, which opens October 23 at The Brick and the Geffen Contemporary at the Museum of Contemporary Art, challenges narratives about Confederate figures like Lee and Jackson who curator Hamza Walker emphasizes "fought for slavery" and "believed in white supremacy.

Who is affected

Visitors to the Los Angeles museum exhibition
Communities that previously housed the Confederate monuments
Residents of Charlottesville, especially those like activist Jalane Schmidt who lived with the statue in their community
Civil rights activists and those opposed to Confederate monuments
Supporters of Confederate monuments and those who believe removing them constitutes historical revision
African Americans and other groups targeted by white supremacist ideologies
Artists whose work appears in the exhibition

What action is being taken

The exhibition "Monuments" is displaying 18 decommissioned Confederate monuments alongside contemporary art pieces
Museums in Los Angeles (The Brick and the Geffen Contemporary at the Museum of Contemporary Art) are hosting the exhibition starting October 23
Artist Kara Walker is presenting her reconstructed Stonewall Jackson sculpture "Unmanned Drone" as part of the exhibition
The melted-down bronze from Charlottesville's Robert E. Lee statue is being displayed alongside barrels of toxic "slag" from the melting process

Why it matters

The exhibition highlights conflicting narratives about American history, particularly around the Civil War and its aftermath
It challenges the "Lost Cause" ideology that portrays the Confederacy as fighting for states' rights rather than slavery
The monuments have been focal points for violence and protests, including the deadly 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville
The exhibition occurs amid ongoing political tension, with President Trump ordering the reinstallation of Confederate monuments while activists work to remove them
It raises questions about how societies should handle controversial historical figures and symbols
The transformation of the monuments represents efforts to "purify" what activist Jalane Schmidt calls "toxic representation of history"

What's next

Most of the monuments will be returned to the cities and towns they were borrowed from when the exhibition closes in May
Kara Walker's sculpture "Unmanned Drone" will need to find a new home after the exhibition
The bronze ingots from the melted Lee sculpture will be transformed into a new work of art

Read full article from source: BBC