The Commons

2011

In this monumental work, Paul Ramírez Jonas adopts the language of imperial power traditionally expressed through equestrian statues but omits a human figure, thus shifting the focus from the commemoration of individual leaders to the power of the collective. The artist designed the sculpture out of cork to be adorned by visitors and accumulate messages and keepsakes over time.

The European tradition of equestrian statuary dates to the ancient Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius. This legacy of cementing power continues today in the selection of historical monuments decided upon by an elite few rather than by the communities who live with these images everyday. In light of ongoing debates around monuments, amplified most recently by the Black Lives Matter movement, Ramírez Jonas’s sculpture usurps this history to present a communal alternative function for this hallowed motif.