The document discusses Thomas Hirschhorn's Gramsci Monument from 2013. It was located in the Bronx and aimed to start conversations about political philosopher Antonio Gramsci's ideas. The monument required effort to visit and encouraged discussions of topics like race, guns, and art. It emphasized that everyone can spread ideas but it takes work, like traveling to the monument. Gramsci believed workers should be educated to become intellectuals too. The monument tried to make ideas visible and leave a lasting impression on visitors' hearts. It shows how art can memorialize concepts rather than just people.

1. *
Invisible Monuments-
How many public
monuments do you think
you have you passed
without even noticing?
What is a monument anyway?
What do you want
people to think about?
How can we make our ideas
be seen and heard?

3. Thomas Hirschhorn, Gramsci
Monument, 2013
Everyone has the capacity to harness the power of ideas.
Such capacity requires effort. It requires making a
decision, such as taking a train to the Bronx and walking to
the Forest Houses, and having a conversation, perhaps
about Weiner or Spitzer, but more likely about Gramsci, or
about race, or guns, or art.
ART 21- Season 7

4. Thomas Hirschhorn, Gramsci
Monument, 2013
Everyone has the capacity to harness the power of
ideas. Such capacity requires effort. It requires making
a decision, such as taking a train to the Bronx and
walking to the Forest Houses, and having a
conversation, perhaps about Weiner or Spitzer, but
more likely about Gramsci, or about race, or guns, or
art.
ART 21- Season 7
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=gramici+project
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5yyegM2u88
http://www.art21.org/videos/episode-investigation

5. “I decided to join the
monument”
-Stan the Man
“All humans are
intellectuals”
-Gramsci
Gramsci emphasized the need for
popular workers' education to
encourage development of
intellectuals from the working class.
“A monument stays with
you in your heart”
“It’s about learning from
each other”

6. OtherMonumentalArtists:
Krzysztof Wodiczko,
Bunker Hill Monument,
1998
Fred Wilson, E Pluribus Unum, 1998
Maya Lin, Vietnam Veterans Memorial,
1980-82

7. Activity Ideas:
● This can be an individual project, but works very well as a group or class experience as
well.
● Students will select a topic/idea/question that the want to create a monument about.
● How will they create a monument that isn’t invisible? How will it engage people?
● Students should engage in a planning phase, including small scale mock-ups and drawings.
● How could you create your idea on a larger scale using materials from your art room?
● If possible, create large scale monuments around the school.
● This could also be created as a retablo/diorama if space is limited.
● Another consideration is to change an existing sculpture so it is no longer invisible (such as
artists Fred Wilson, or Krzysztof Wodiczko- see below).
What are the personal items, objects, or ideas that are most significant in your life?
How might these objects be transformed into art?
What do you want people to think about or talk about?
What do you want to say?
What do you want people to know?

8. QUICK STUDY ACTIVITY: Making Personal Monuments
How do I capture the thoughtsin my mind?
1. What are the personal items, objects, or ideas that are most significant in your life?
2. What do you want people to think about or talk about?
3. What do you want to say?
4. What do you want people to know about you?
5. What would one of these ideas look like made out of clay?