Sam Durant: Proposal for Non-Aligned Monuments, Free Movement

“This project brings forward the concept of free movement at a time when Europe is struggling with migration from its former colonies due to war, economic deprivation and climate change. It also makes visible a twentieth century socio-political idea for international cooperation.” —Sam Durant 

Proposal for Non-Aligned Monuments, Free Movement is dedicated to the Non-Aligned Movement, which was founded in 1961 at the instigation of Egypt, Ghana, Yugoslavia, Indonesia, and India. The movement, which at the time sharply criticized all forms of colonialism and imperialism, was joined by countries that were not formally aligned with any of the two major power blocs at the time of the Cold War. To date, the NAM includes over 120 countries which together make up more than half of the world’s population, and functions as an international forum to discuss common interests. 

Proposal for Non-Aligned Monuments, Free Movement is the most recent installation from the series Proposals for Monuments, which Durant began in 1999. At a time when the world is in full movement, Durant allows a new view of the present while opening up possibilities for the future. The work emerges as a model and emphasizes the role of the imagination and freedom of movement, while tuning in to the current need for new concepts, initiatives and alternative world views.

In the context of social polarization, religious extremism and disinformation, Proposal for Non-Aligned Monuments, Free Movement introduces a dose of humanity, while at the same time inviting the reader to engage in (re)discovery and solidarity.

Published on the occasion of the exhibition Sam Durant: Proposal for Non-Aligned Monuments, Free Movement at Cultuurcentrum Strombeek, Grimbergen, Belgium in 2021.

Physical description:
Softcover, 19 pages
Grimbergen, Belgium: Cultuurcentrum Strombeek, 2022
8 x 11 inches