In the wake of the George Floyd protests, San Francisco is undergoing a profound reckoning with its historical monuments. The city is not just tearing down statues; it's actively reimagining its public spaces and the stories they tell. This transformation is not just about removing offensive symbols; it's about creating new, inclusive narratives that reflect the diverse and dynamic nature of the city itself. One of the most intriguing projects is the 'Embassy of the Refugee' by Kaleb Duarte, which is not only a commentary on the city's past but also a powerful statement about its present and future.
Duarte's installation at the Pioneer Monument is a testament to the power of art in public spaces. By covering the metal scaffolding with gold mylar, he transforms a temporary structure into a permanent, shimmering monument. The piece is a commentary on the forgotten workers and the immigrant experience, with collaborators from Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Mexico sharing their stories. The gold mylar, which flutters in the breeze, is a reference to emergency blankets used at detention centers, turning a symbol of trauma into something beautiful and hopeful.
What makes this project particularly fascinating is how it challenges the traditional notion of a monument. Instead of glorifying historical figures, it focuses on the everyday people who make the city what it is. The scaffolding, usually an eyesore, becomes a canvas for the stories of the workers and immigrants. This raises a deeper question: what if our monuments were not just about the past but also about the present and the future?
The 'Embassy of the Refugee' is not an isolated project. It is part of a larger movement to reshape San Francisco's 'commemorative landscape.' The city is not just removing statues; it's actively seeking to understand and address the power dynamics embedded in its public spaces. The Shaping Legacy project, funded by the Mellon Foundation, is conducting an audit of the city's 105 monuments, examining their historical context, who paid for them, and who created them. The findings are eye-opening: 77% of the city's monuments were made by male artists, and only 18 were explicitly commissioned or acquired by the city.
This audit is not just about understanding the past; it's about shaping the future. The project is partnering with community organizations to fund artist-led film screenings, walking tours, discussions, and performances across the city. This includes addressing some of the most contentious sites, such as the Dewey Monument in Union Square and the now-empty plinth of Christopher Columbus. The goal is to make recommendations about the future of these sites, and how the city should consider the removal, relocation, or destruction of monuments moving forward.
One of the crucial findings from the audit is that the public is far more interested in the creation of new work than the removal of existing statues. New monuments have the opportunity to tell the complete story of San Francisco by memorializing stories previously untold and marginalized. They can also be an opportunity for community empowerment, celebration, and joy. This is evident in the work of Adrián Arias, a Shaping Legacy grantee who has built a roving, multifaceted homage to the paleteros and paleteras who trace a 'sweet route' through the Mission District.
Arias' 'A Sweet Route' is a joyful celebration of the immigrant workers who make the city's paletas. The project kicked off during Carnaval with a small army of paleteros handing out free treats, and continued with a music- and dance-fueled walk through the Mission. The temporary monument, a painted wooden sculpture of a paleta, now stands in the park, watching over playing children. This project is a powerful example of how art can be used to celebrate the everyday people who make a city what it is.
The many aspects of the Shaping Legacy commissions fill a timeline that stretches well into October, including forthcoming temporary monuments by Afatasi the Artist and Stacey Carter, both in Bayview-Hunters Point. The grant period comes to a close at the end of 2026, and the project aims to leave the city with real recommendations about the future of its monuments. It may take another infusion of non-taxpayer money for these recommendations to be turned into action, but the desire for more monuments to everyday life and ordinary people is palpable.
In the end, the transformation of San Francisco's monuments is not just about removing offensive symbols; it's about creating new, inclusive narratives that reflect the diverse and dynamic nature of the city. The 'Embassy of the Refugee' by Kaleb Duarte is a powerful example of how art can be used to challenge the traditional notion of a monument and to celebrate the everyday people who make a city what it is. It is a testament to the power of public art to shape the future of a city and to leave a lasting impact on its citizens.
