Equestrian Statue

Since ages the most common art object in public space was equestrian statue, the dignified shape of a man on a horse. It was symbolically commemorating won battles or wars, or just simply giving glory to the powerful leaders. In collective consciousness it was always the object representing a man on a horse. How can we change the meaning of the equestrian statue in 2020 when we leave it to be designed by a woman? In particular to Iza Rutkowska, the artist that is involving people in redesign spaces they live in?

The object of a horse designed by Iza Rutkowska was set in front to the statue of Espartero Monument in the center of Logroño. To make a difference Rutkowska made a symbolical change by leaving her – resembling a gigant toy – horse free without setting any particular person on the top as a conqueror. She makes that to let anybody try to mount the horse with childish joy and nativity but with the power of change similar to the mythological horse from Troya. Everybody that is using the public space try to climb Troy.

The intervention has been made to make a notice for injustice in designing and using public spaces. The free horse will be in the public space only temporary while Espatero monument will propably stay for many years more. Lets have a look on public spaces nowadays from different perspective and think about the injustice we find there everyday. Let everybody that reach Rutkowska’s horse think about injustice being on the top and make individual change going back down.

Troy was seated in front of Espertero Monument in Spain during Concentrico – International Festival of Design and Architecture in 2020 but in 2021 its going further to other colonial countries. In September its going to be seated with the monument of Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan Design Week and later on with Ludvig XIV in France.

Everybody that couldn’t participate in the project “LIVE” are able to download a paper model of the horse to print it and make it at home. When you have it ready go and photograph it in front of other oppressive equestrian statues in your hometown. Send the picture to iza@izarutkowska.com and #equestrianstatue to illustrate the scale of the problem.