Christian Ard, Student Work

DO NOT FORGET

A Site-Specific Art Work

St. Augustine, Florida

April 2018

I highlighted civil rights by creating a replica of the podium that was used by Martin Luther King Jr. to deliver his "I Have A Dream" speech. I decided to incorporate sound into the piece since I was setting up in a busy, public space. I wanted MLK’s voice to be heard among a crowd of present day visitors to St. Augustine. I made an audio file that included excerpts of MLK's speech and MLK speaking to the owner of the Monsoon Motor Lodge in St. Augustine. I looped the video and placed a Bluetooth speaker inside the podium.

The Monsoon Motor Lodge in St. Augustine is a nationally recognized site of racial discrimination. The owner of the lodge poured acid in the pool while African Americans were swimming. MLK visited the site and held a peaceful protest in response to segregation and was later arrested for his action of protesting. 

I chose to present this piece at the site of the Fredrick Douglas Marker on St. George Street. Frederick Douglas played an important role in the ending of slavery. Douglas visited St. Augustine and spoke about emancipation. The marker on St. George Street acknowledges his presence. 

After an hour and fifteen minutes at the Frederick Douglas Marker, two police officers approached me and I was asked to remove the podium. At a later date, I re-assembled the podium and photographed it front of the house that MLK stayed at during a visit to St. Augustine.