Appunti di iconoclastia contemporanea: la distruzione delle immagini per la creazione di nuovi immaginari

During protests in 2020, monuments of American Confederates, Christopher Columbus and other imperialist leaders were vandalised or destroyed by some Black Lives Matter demonstrators. These events were condemned by institutions and the media, who accused the demonstrators of censorship and historical denial. This paper seeks to explore the reasons for these attacks through the lens of Visual Culture Studies. It also introduces the work of contemporary artists who reflect on this topic, such as Allison Stewart, Banksy, Sam Durant, and Jillian McManemin.