Photo by Eileen Mellon
Reclaiming the Monument, a collaborative nonprofit public art project that gives context to historic spaces using projection-based art, hosted “Reflections” on Belle Isle July 8-10.
The event featured an art installation projected onto the trestles of Lee Bridge; musical performances from Classical Revolution RVA, Butcher Brown, Railgun and others; and activities with Studio Two Three, the Elegba Folklore Society and the All Saints Theater Company.
Reclaiming the Monument cofounders Dustin Klein and Alex Criqui garnered national attention in 2020 for their projections on the Robert E. Lee statue on Monument Avenue. Last year, The Mellon Foundation awarded a $670,000 grant to Reclaiming the Monument and The Valentine museum to present a six-part series of light-based artworks that address untold history and racial and social justice.
“Projection mapping and light-based art is a very engaging medium,” Criqui says. “It allows us to make large statements in public places in a way that is quick and temporal.”
The group’s next event will be held in partnership with Untold RVA during its annual Gabriel Week celebration Aug. 23-30. They are also working with the Pamunkey Tribe and the Sacred Ground Historical Reclamation Project to create installations that explore Richmond’s indigenous history.
For information on future events, visit reclaimingthemonument.com.
See more photos taken around Richmond at instagram.com/richmondmag.
