PCA X Terra Foundation: Alma Sofia Fernandez-Garcia presents the "New Memorials"

Every semester (Fall and Spring), PCA Liberal Studies Department Head Barbara Montefalcone, along with members of the faculty selects PCA students across departments and offers them the opportunity to take part in a unique research program based on the Collection of the Terra Foundation for American Art Library.

On Thursday April 4th, 2024 (15:00-17:00) MFA Photography and Image-Making student Alma Sofia Fernandez-Garcia, together with her peers from Université Paris Nanterre, will present a research project completed for the Spring 2024 PCA/ Terra Foundation/ Université Paris Nanterre Program on the theme of New Narratives in American Art.

Alma Sofia Fernandez-Garcia will present the results of her research on “The New Memorials”.

This event is open to all, please register by email April 3rd, 17:00
Terra Foundation for American Art Center in Paris | 121 rue de Lille 75007 PARIS

“When a mass shooting takes place, the aura of the location changes permanently, especially for the locals of the area. A place that was part of people’s everyday routine, a place that was safe, that carried lighthearted memories, becomes a memorial where people mourn, grieve, and fear. With the number of mass shootings in the U.S. increasing drastically over the last decade, these “new memorials” are taking over the once romanticized American landscape.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the murder of George Floyd led to protests across the U.S. against police brutality and gun violence. These protests led to the destruction and vandalism of many confederate monuments, forcing the nation to rethink the landscapes and purpose of American public art monuments.
Artists are at the forefront of this conversation, creating work as public installations, conducting research in museums and gallery spaces, and involving the public into their artworks to further push conversations around memorials, gun violence, and the ever-changing American landscape. Many of these artists are students and are personal survivors of mass shootings. They are using their artistic mediums and platforms to speak up and take action to influence how their own generation, along with future generations, will approach public spaces. Leaving us to question what the future landscape will look like at the cross section between art and public memorials in the United States.” Alma Sofia Fernandez-Garcia