Our group explored the powerful, and dangerous, relationship between art and censorship.
We chose this topic because, unfortunately, censorship is not a relic of the past; it’s a fully functioning issue that affects artists around the world right now in various political events around the world. We were inspired by the vital role that art plays in telling the stories of those who are censored.
Therefore, each of us made a memorial, telling the story of the artists being oppressed that came to New York City in hopes of pursuing their artistic freedom. The artists featured in our project are José Fajardo, Audre Lorde, Paul Cadmus, Hans Haacke, and Margaret Sanger. By looking ‘through their eyes,’ we invite you to see their struggle, their journey, and the legacy they left in overcoming oppression.
Each memorial box includes a collage of the oppressed past of the artist, as well as their new life in New York City, a physical representation of the artist, and a work that the artist inspired us to create.
Doing the research and creating the memorial boxes revealed that for many New Yorkers, art is the primary reason for their presence in this city. By tracing the migration of artists like José Fajardo and Audre Lorde, we saw that the New York City community is built on the pursuit of artistic freedom. The project demonstrated that the role of art in NYC is to provide a sanctuary where voices silenced somewhere else can flourish, thereby creating a community with great diversity and resilience.
