ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE 2020/2021
Sean Linezo.
BRING ME THE HEAD OF OSCEOLA //
THERE IS MORE TO REMEMBER...
Because the ability to empathize, to see a problem from another persons perspective, is necessary if national problems like racial conflict are ever to be solved...i propose an equal-sized monument of Osceola to be strategically placed twenty paces away at eye-level directly in the line of sight with Jackson, as if the two are engaged in a staring duel.
By presenting both sides equally in a public space, we invite the audience to engage with history from multiple perspectives. Each of the statues will stand alone and function to memorialize each of these men separately. But when seen together, engaging with each other in a staring contest, they illustrate an ideological battle that continues to resonate through today."
In 1821 Florida became a territory of the United States. A celebration of the 200-year anniversary of this event will be held in Pensacola in 2021. It was here that Andrew Jackson stood 200 years ago as he watched the Spanish flag be lowered and the US flag raised for the first time. As a historical celebrity, Jackson will be celebrated for his role in the colonization of Florida despite the fact that this same legacy is known to have produced one of the most brutal acts of systemic genocide in recorded history.
This anniversary celebration creates an opportunity for the community to look closer at what it is that we are celebrating. It also creates an opportunity to welcome an additional perspective into our memorial ecology and heritage landscape. Through a series of events, exhibitions and a site-specific monument our project will offer more information about our shared history by offering the under represented voices of the Native American community an opportunity to tell their own stories of Florida history. There is more to remember...
