Reclaiming the Monument
Recontextualizing Historic Spaces through Light, Protest, and Technology
Project Overview
Reclaiming the Monument is a projection-based protest art initiative founded by Richmond-based artists Dustin Klein and Alex Criqui. Conceived in the summer of 2020 amid the Black Lives Matter protests following the murder of George Floyd, the project uses light to transform and reframe Confederate monuments in Richmond, Virginia. By projecting images and messages onto these symbols of oppression, the work seeks to challenge dominant historical narratives and create a new visual dialogue around race, justice, and community healing
Key details include:
Location: Richmond, Virginia
Timeline: Initiated in early summer 2020 and continuing in various forms
Collaborators: Dustin Klein (Technical/Visual Director) and Alex Criqui (Creative Director)
Technologies Used: Projection mapping, video editing, custom programming for real-time adjustments
Funding & Partnerships: Significant support came via a $670,000 grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation’s Monuments Project, and collaboration with local institutions such as The Valentine Museum
Creative Vision and Concept
The project’s creative vision centers on reclaiming space—both physically and symbolically. By projecting provocative images (for example, the face of George Floyd alongside empowering icons like Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass) onto the Robert E. Lee Monument and other Confederate symbols, Klein and Criqui aimed to subvert traditional interpretations and invite public reflection on a painful past.
Memorialization and Resistance: Originally envisioned as a memorial to those lost to police brutality, the projections evolved into a broader statement of Black empowerment and a call for historical reevaluation.
Recontextualization: The work transforms sites of historical oppression into spaces of dialogue, healing, and communal resistance, urging viewers to question long-held narratives of the “Lost Cause” and instead to imagine a future where history is told in its full complexity
Technical Execution
This project employs a sophisted blend of art and technology:
Projection Mapping
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Custom projection setups are used to cast high-resolution images onto the irregular surfaces of monuments. This requires careful calibration of angles, keystone correction, and modular setups to adjust for varying venue conditions.
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Live Adjustments
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The system is designed for real-time control, enabling the artists to sync visuals with live events or improvised moments during protests.
Software & Hardware Integration
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Utilizing a suite of tools—including advanced projection mapping software and custom programming—the team creates impactful moments with limited resources
Collaboration with activist and Local Institutions
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The technical setup also involved partnerships with local cultural organizations, ensuring that historical context and community narratives were integrated into the final projections
Challenges and Solutions
Venue Variability: The project had to adapt to different monument sizes, shapes, and ambient lighting conditions across Richmond.
Solution: The team developed modular scripts and a flexible projection setup that could be quickly recalibrated for each venue.
Real-time Responsiveness: Given the fluid nature of live protests, the system needed to handle spontaneous changes in performance and audience interaction.
Solution: Custom software allowed for on-the-fly adjustments, blending pre-programmed sequences with live-triggered visual effects.
Technical Reliability: Ensuring high-resolution projection outdoors, in varied weather conditions and amid potential vandalism, posed technical risks.
Solution: Rigorous testing and backup systems (such as redundant hardware and networked playback systems) were implemented to maintain performance integrity
Impact and Community Response
Reclaiming the Monument quickly became a powerful symbol within Richmond’s cultural landscape:
Media Acclaim: The project was widely featured in national and international media. The New York Times even recognized one of its projections as one of the “Most Influential Pieces of Protest Art Since World War II” [​moma.org].
Community Engagement: Local residents and protestors alike found that the work transformed a space long associated with white supremacy into a platform for healing and dialogue.
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Institutional Partnerships: Collaboration with institutions like The Valentine Museum helped amplify the educational aspect of the project, integrating primary historical sources and community feedback into future initiatives
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Cultural Shift: By recontextualizing historic monuments, the project contributed to the broader movement to rethink public memorialization in Richmond—a city still grappling with its Confederate past.
Future Directions
Building on its early successes, Reclaiming the Monument continues to evolve:
Expansion of Installations: Plans include developing additional projection-based installations at historically significant sites across Richmond, further extending the dialogue around race, history, and public space.
Educational Outreach: The project is working on producing educational resources and workshops to enable other communities to engage with public art as a tool for social change.
Community Empowerment: There is a focus on empowering emerging local artists through grants and collaborative initiatives, ensuring that the project's tools and methodologies are accessible to a broader audience
Conclusion
Reclaiming the Monument is more than an art project—it is a dynamic intervention in the public sphere that reimagines how history is told and experienced. By leveraging cutting-edge projection technology and a deep commitment to community dialogue, Dustin Klein and Alex Criqui have created a transformative work that challenges oppressive narratives and inspires collective healing. This case study not only illustrates the technical and creative challenges overcome by the team but also highlights the enduring impact of art when used as a medium for protest and social change.
