Photo Caption: The creation of the statue with a playful demeanor, designed and exhibited by the AVT 262 students
Photo Credits: Ran Kim
A lot of people are questioning the appearance of the statue at the moment. One day, without explanation, colored papers were all over George Mason’s statue.
This is the time to receive answers to your questions.
There are two reasons: the first is the Mason-Fairfax culture surrounding the statue itself. To be straightforward, George Mason was the second-largest enslaver in Fairfax. George Mason himself had the power to make changes, but he did not, even though he felt bad about it. In fact, enslavement was normal at the time.
You may be wondering "Do you want me to judge George Mason?" or "Are you normalizing enslavement?"
The answer to both questions is "no."
George Mason is partially a good guy and partially a bad guy, depending on which perspective you choose to focus on. It is up to you to decide which aspect to emphasize. However, ignoring and sanitizing the aspect should be avoided.
Along with this existing culture, the next reason is to recognize the institution.
Professor Edgar and the AVT 262 students wanted to give the statue a new purpose. The statue that represents the institution could be much more than a colonial figure of a white man, and the idea of Osaekcheon was brought forward by a student. The concept of Osaekcheon is worshipped in Korean folk religion as a sacred entity or offered in rituals as a sacrifice. The goal of this project is to practice reappropriating the statue as a platform of pluralism for students to rethink their own institutions.
An essential part of this project is to be "playful." When you play with power, you begin to question the power and, eventually, the power of the leadership, and the statue becomes a canvas for reconfiguration. The heritage an individual wants to own could be dynamic, and the statue of George Mason is a place where you can debate. Indeed, the gesture of debating could be symbolically counternarrative, but introducing the idea of counternarrative and accepting a dynamic heritage will give you an opportunity to think about your own as well.
What is it like for you to be Mason? What identity could be more relatable?
The goal here is to create a better symbol, one that creates a new voice of counternarrative to the pure metal stone. Not only that but think about what leadership means to you. The most important part of this project is to make you, the students, feel like you own the place.
"Freedom and Learning" is the slogan of George Mason University. You have every right and place to raise questions and think critically about the facts or even about the project itself. Whether it could result in the failure of the institution's reputation or the project itself, don’t worry. There will be progress from failures. We will learn from the mistakes we make together. Don’t stop asking questions and be playful with the changes you can make.
Photo Caption: The coordinator of the project, Edgar Endress, a professor affiliated with George Mason University and teaches courses on new media and public art
Photo Credits: Mason Korea
Written by Ran Kim
Revised by Soram Hong|Managing Editor
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