A visionary outdoor installation that redefines public art and civic spaces, MONUMENTS kicks off fall and winter programming at City Hall Park as part of ongoing downtown activation
This fall, downtown Seattle becomes the latest canvas for the groundbreaking multimedia art installation MONUMENTS, created by world-renowned artist Craig Walsh. Mayor Harrell and the Department of Parks and Recreation (SPR) unveiled this unique site-responsive installation at City Hall Park. MONUMENTS, which has garnered national and international acclaim, captivates audiences through night-time projections that transform trees into sculptural monuments that oversee the immediate surroundings. MONUMENTS is curated to challenge traditional expectations of public monuments and the selective historical narratives that have shaped civic spaces.
Each MONUMENTS installation is tailored to reflect and celebrate the essence, history, and cultural influences of the selected site, recognizing the diverse contributions of people and communities that influence our understanding of the region. In Seattle, Windz of Change Alliance, Native-American led non-profit, in partnership with Seattle Parks and Recreation, curated the latest MONUMENTS installation to showcase the stories of the Coast Salish tribes through projected interviews with Romajean Thomas of the Muckleshoot Tribe; John Halliday of the Muckleshoot, Duwamish, Yakama, and Warm Springs tribes; and Kailer Fisher of the Dine, Hopi, and Hoh tribes.
From September 12 through October 5, 2023, Walsh’s immersive art experience will be available to the public. Showings will take place nightly from 8:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. bringing Seattle residents, workers, and visitors the opportunity to witness the intersection of art, nature, and history that challenge perceptions of space and broadcast our city’s rich cultural heritage and diverse indigenous communities. Recent installations of MONUMENTS include Bethesda, Maryland; Houston, Texas; Chapel Hill, North Carolina; and Adelaide, South Australia.
Part of Mayor Harrell’ Downtown Activation Plan (DAP) to create a healthy, resilient, and green downtown, City Hall Park was reopened to the public in June 2023 after a two-year restoration process. On the heels of an event-filled summer, which saw more than 3 million downtown visitors in July, SPR will continue hosting activations throughout the fall and winter months that draw people to the city core.
About Craig Walsh
Over the last 30 years, Australian artist Craig Walsh has become widely known for his pioneering works, including innovative approaches to projection mapping at unconventional sites. His site-responsive works have animated natural environments and features such as trees, rivers, and mountains, as well as public art projects in urban and architectural spaces. He is also renowned for his site interventions at live events, including iconic works at music festivals across Australia and internationally.
About Monuments
Monuments aims to challenge traditional expectations of public monuments and the selective history represented in our civic spaces. Cleverly deconstructing its own definition by humanizing the monument, there is a temporary fusion of everyday individuals with other living species occupying shared areas. Undermining the permanent historical and public art models so often controlled by subjective motivations, Monuments recognizes the infinite contributions that influence our understanding of place.
City Hall Park Tree Monuments
We of NW Tribal Communities want to respectfully acknowledge cultural legacy lifetimes of these invited Elder, Woman and Youth individuals: John Halliday, Muckleshoot “Duwamish,” Yakama, Warm Springs, Romajean Thomas, Muckleshoot, and Kailer Fisher, Dine, Hopi, Hoh. Each reflects the legacy of 7th Generation Ancestral Relationships walking contemporary Seattle pathways in strengthening Our Peoples, Places, Plants, Trees and All Relations. Holding in Relationship Hands the eco-cultural well-being of all our local communities and surrounding lands, we stand encircled together.
