Monumental Interventions
Artist: Apodaca
Year: 2023
Date of Action: February 2023
Region: North America
Location: San Diego, California, USA
Subject: Political/Economic/Social Opinion
Medium: Electronic Media, Film Video, Installation, Mixed Media, Public Art
Confronting Bodies: San Diego International Airport
Description of Artwork: The 10-foot-by-10-foot wallpaper of Monumental Interventions is immediately visible in the piece, offering camouflage clouds punctuated by close-ups of horizontal statue heads surrounded by Southern California sunset hues. In the center of this backdrop is a video where toppled statues come to life and offer critical perspectives on the hyper-militarization of San Diego. The artwork includes motion-tracked individual testimonies in its exploration of the militarization of the U.S.-Mexico border.
The Incident: On installation day, an airport volunteer said to the artist, “This is some woke bullshit.” The volunteer's concern was relayed to top echelons of airport leadership.
Results of Incident: A month after the artwork’s installation, the artist received a contract termination from the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority stating Monumental Interventions had been taken down with no explanation (which was within the contract’s legal terms) and no contact from the curatorial team. According to the airport authority, the installation was removed because “the artwork delivered by the artist did not match the proposal.”