Iconoclasm and the Historic Environment: From the French Revolution to the Russian-Ukrainian War and Beyond

Guest Lecture

Iconoclasm and the Historic Environment:
From the French Revolution to the Russian-Ukrainian War and Beyond

par

Paul Hardin Kapp

professor of architecture at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
and Senior Fulbright Scholar at CY AS, Fondation des Sciences du Patrimoine, Héritages.

Le mardi 21 mars 2023
de 12h30 à 14h00 (Paris time)

               Auditorium de la Maison Internationale de la Recherche (CY Cergy Paris Université, Neuville-sur-Oise)
et sur Zoom

We are experiencing a new age of iconoclasm, the premediated destruction of visual symbols because of their specific emotional or ideological content, in the public square. This public act is hardly new in Europe, the Middle East, or in Asia, but it is a new experience in post-colonial countries in Africa, South America, and North America. As a post-colonial and relatively young country, the United States is no different. Until 2000, the U.S. celebrated its built patrimony in urban squares, even when they were associated with racism and colonialism. After the murder of George Floyd, the U.S. and Canada began questioning the meanings of their civic art and the ramifications of iconoclasm.

In this talk, I will discuss my (initial) research on how France has historically enacted, institutionalized, and reacted to iconoclasm. From archaeological fragments, such as the foundation stones displayed at the Bastille Metro, to the Pantheon, Paris is an important case study on iconoclasm and the antipathetic relationship between art and power. I pose these questions: 1. Is iconoclasm art or historical record? And 2. In 2023, is iconoclasm public expression or a weapon of war?

Lien Zoom : https://cyu-fr.zoom.us/j/9392771597
Meeting ID: 939 2771 5971

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