Banksy Joins Internet In Proposing Creative Ways To Replace Slave Trader Statue
Image via Banksy
Banksy has proposed that the statue of Edward Colston, which was taken down by activists in Bristol, should be placed back on its plinth and surrounded by monuments of protesters pulling it down.
The street artist has unveiled a new piece inspired by activists who pulled down the statue of the thriving slave trader from the 17th century.
The artwork, shared on Instagram, imagines the statue toppling backward as four activists pull it down with ropes.
Banksy said that this moment should be “commemorated.”
“What should we do with the empty plinth in the middle of Bristol?” the artist captioned the work. “Here’s an idea that caters for both those who miss the Colston statue and those who don’t.”
“We drag him out the water, put him back on the plinth, tie cable round his neck and commission some life size bronze statues of protesters in the act of pulling him down,” the artist suggested.
The statue was brought down during a demonstration in Bristol. Video clips showed that the monument was toppled over by protestors and eventually rolled down into the city’s harbor.
Colston was a board member and deputy governor of the Royal African Company back in the 17th century. He oversaw the transportation of about 84,000 Africans into slavery.
According to The Guardian, about 19,000 people died on the slave ships. Therefore, having a monument to honor him has been questionable to the people of Bristol.
Other Twitter users have come up with various suggestions to replace the toppled statue. One Twitter user proposed the idea of putting Cristiano Ronaldo’s famously mocked bust in replacement of Colston’s statue. Mark Hamill suggested a statue of Yoda should be placed on the empty plinth.
POETIC JUSTICE
— muiz (@muiz) June 7, 2020
is ripping a memorial statue of notorious 17th Century slaver, #EdwardColston down from a podium with a noose, dragging it/him across the floor like a bonfire effigy & then throwing it/him into the river.
Good riddance.#BlackLivesMatterhttps://t.co/XY7md8P3rw
Great replacement! What do you think fellow Bristolians? 😆 #EdwardColston #StatuesMustFall #Ronaldo #BristolProtest #bristolstatue #bristol pic.twitter.com/rhR94HlRAG
— MiserableZippy (@MiserableZippy) June 9, 2020
Luminous beings are we... ALL. pic.twitter.com/LHCGYq5FPS
— Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) June 8, 2020
Lot of ideas for what to put on the Colston plinth, but I like how in the Ukraine a statue of Lenin was turned into Darth Vader. Would fit as well as David Prowse is from Bristol. And although Vader was a bad guy, in the end he saw the light and chucked the Emperor in a pit pic.twitter.com/I6Hj8fOe2n
— Richard James (@RichHAHAhard) June 8, 2020
[via GQ, opening image via Banksy]
