The Defacement of Racist Statues Is a Renegotiation of Power

An interview with art curator Chaédria LaBouvier

A vandalized statue of King Leopold II in Belgium. The statue was vandalized in early June — and several times in the past in Ghent — and was removed on June 30, 2020. Photo: Jonathan Raa/NurPhoto/Getty Images

Ever since the George Floyd protests have rippled across the world, we have been experiencing reckonings with the past and present on a daily basis. Whether it’s networks removing blackface episodes, executives resigning after allegations of racism and silencing in the workplace…