Standbeeld Van Edward Colston, Bristol

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Standbeeld Van Edward Colston, Bristol Standbeeld van Edward Colston, Bristol Bron: Prachatai, via Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 Over wie gaat het? Edward Colston Waar? Bristol, Verenigd Koninkrijk Context van de figuur? Edward Colston (1636-1721) was een Engelse koopman die betrokken was bij de transatlantische slavenhandel. Aanvankelijk handelde hij vooral in wijn, Fruit en textiel maar later raakte hij ook betrokken bij de slavenhandel als lid van de Royal AFrican Company. Die had het monopolie op de Engelse handel in tot slaaF gemaakte Afrikanen. In Bristol stond hij lange tijd bekend als een weldoener omwille van zijn talrijke schenkingen aan goede doelen in de stad Context beeld of Colston werd gedurende eeuwen in Bristol herdacht als een held van het straatnaam? Verenigd Koninkrijk omwille van zijn rol in de internationale handel. In 1895, 174 jaar na zijn dood, werd een standbeeld van Colston, ontworpen door de Ierse beeldhouwer John Cassidy (1860-1939), opgericht in Bristol. Overigens werden ook diverse gebouwen naar hem vernoemd: onder andere de liefdadigheidsinstelling Colston Hall, die in 2020 werd hernoemd naar Bristol Beacon. Wat is er gebeurd? Het standbeeld van Colston was al langer een pijnpunt in de Britse geschiedenis. Zo ging kunstenaar Hew Locke er in 2006 al mee aan de slag. Hij onderzoekt sinds 2002 de rol die standbeelden spelen bij het vormgeven van de nationale identiteit en geschiedenis. Hij toont de beelden met allerlei zaken die de verrijking van de staat en personen in de verF zetten, of met arteFacten die pijnlijk illustreren welke mensen of groepen er de dupe van waren. Op die manier kaart de kunstenaar het eenzijdige perspectief aan waarmee naar zulke beelden wordt gekeken. In zijn serie ‘Natives and Colonials’ stelde Locke voor om beelden van Oliver Cromwell en Captain Cook in Felle kleuren te schilderen, en in een andere serie, ‘Patriots’, ontwierp hij opzichtige versieringen om over beelden van Colston en Christopher Columbus te draperen. Het Colston- beeld kreeg van Locke allerlei goudkleurige ornamenten. Op 7 juni 2020 werd het beeld door een woedende menigte in het havenwater gekeild. DezelFde dag stond op de lege sokkel een van de betogers, Jen Reid, met haar vuist strijdlustig in de lucht. De in Londen gebaseerde kunstenaar Marc Quinn maakte in de naweeën van de protesten een beeld van Reid, in samenspraak met de vrouw. Het nieuwe beeld werd op de lege sokkel van Colston geplaatst, als een herinnering aan het verzet tegen de Figuur. Toch bleef het er maar een dag staan, nadat de burgemeester van Bristol had geoordeeld dat er geen stedelijke toelating was, en dat een beslissing over de toekomstige invulling zou moeten komen van de stadsbewoners. Het beeld van Colston werd vier dagen nadat het in het water werd gegooid in opdracht van de gemeenteraad van Bristol uit het water gehaald en naar een veilige locatie gebracht. Daar blijFt het tot verdere verduidelijking. Evaluatie Hoewel er al langer protesten (in de vorm van artistieke interventies) aan de gang waren tegen de Figuur van Colston, kwam een en ander in een stroomversnelling in 2020 met de Black Lives Matter-beweging. Voor het stadsbestuur ook het signaal om verder te gaan met een traject omtrent het kritisch herbekijken van de geschiedenis van de stad. De gemeenteraad stelde aanvankelijk voor om een verklarend tekstbordje over de rol van Colston bij de slavenhandel bij het standbeeld te plaatsen. Voor de campagnegroep ‘Countering Colston’ gaat een tekstbordje echter niet ver genoeg. Voor hen moet er een grondig onderzoek gebeuren van het historisch narratieF en een verandering in attitudes. Contactgegevens Links https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJDM_XYNQSI https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-bristol-42404825 Deze bijdrage is een onderdeel van FARO’s Erfgoedwijzer, een online platform boordevol praktijkkennis, kunde en inzichten over cultureel erfgoed. Tal van handige modules, praktische tools en tips bieden u informatie en inspiratie bij uw dagelijkse cultureel-erfgoedpraktijk. Meer info: www.erfgoedwijzer.be Update: februari 2021 V.U. Olga Van Oost, FARO. Vlaams steunpunt voor cultureel erfgoed vzw, Priemstraat 51, 1000 Brussel .
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