Museum of Contemporary Art Australia (MCA)

Subverting the Monument | Thomas J Price: Ancient Feelings

Thomas J. Price uses his latest talk, "Subverting the Monument," to argue that traditional statues reinforce social hierarchies by elevating ideals on plinths, forcing viewers to look up and revere. He proposes a radical reversal: situating sculptures directly on the ground so the audience stands on the same plane, erasing the visual and psychological distance that conventional monuments create. Price emphasizes that this ground‑level placement creates intimacy and a "level playing field" between artwork and observer. By removing barriers, the work becomes part of the viewer’s everyday environment, encouraging people to physically and mentally engage with it as a shared space rather than a distant object of worship. He frames this as a critique of monumentality’s language, urging artists to interrogate how public art communicates power and identity. Key moments include his description, "by placing works on the ground that the viewer is standing upon, it's kind of creating that level playing field," and his observation that public‑realm pieces invite a sense of ownership, prompting varied physical approaches and mental interpretations. He stresses that accessibility allows audiences to see themselves reflected in the work, fostering agency rather than passive admiration. The implication is a shift toward democratized public art that challenges entrenched narratives and invites community participation. If adopted broadly, such practices could reshape urban landscapes, making monuments sites of dialogue rather than symbols of unilateral authority, and influencing future commissions to prioritize inclusivity and relational experience.