Urban Iconoclasm: The Legacy of Toppled Statues

Abstract

This paper examines the spatial iconoclasm of public spaces, specifically the acts of toppling and vandalizing statues and monuments, as one of the spatial tactics used during conflicts and how the transformation of the everyday landscape of memorialization can change historical narratives to create new values and meanings. By analyzing a series of cases, this study compares the usage and the scale to which this strategy has been practiced in the recent events of the Black Lives Matter movement.