"When Statues Fall," initiated in late 2022, is an ongoing exploration into Western heroic narratives, scrutinizing their evolution across historical and contemporary contexts, both physically and digitally. Between January and May 2024, during the Archivo LAB program, the project sought to challenge and reinterpret traditional notions of heroism.
This work delves into themes of permanence versus change, disruption versus creation, and the virtual versus the tangible, challenging the boundaries between fantasy and reality. By juxtaposing these concepts, it interrogates established models of collective memory centered on the civilizing hero. It further examines how digital archives and AI-generated images shape and suggest narratives, unveiling the complexities of Western-constructed heroic ideals. Practical explorations included staged photography, AI-generated images, archival footage, and sculpture, resulting in diverse and multifaceted outcomes.
Inspired by global acts of toppling public monuments in recent years, "When Statues Fall" reflects on monuments as ideological and physical markers of territory and space, extending these constructs into digital realms. Bianca Salvo was particularly struck by the symbolic and physical disintegration of these objects of power, a motif transcending historical periods and geographic boundaries. This inspired a visual parallel with the law of gravity, encapsulated in the statement, “What goes up, must go down.” This metaphor highlights the cosmic resonance in the rise and fall of heroic narratives, influenced by societal values, cultural dynamics, and historical events. "When Statues Fall" captures the essence of symbolic descent while commenting on deconstruction, transformation, and the complex relationship between power, memory, and cultural identity.
