Kerry James Marshall's Solution For Chicago's Fascist Balbo Monument? Add Depiction Of 'Mutilated' Mussolini

By Stephen Gossett in Arts & Entertainment on Aug 29, 2017 6:40PM

Kerry James Marshall at MOCA, March 2017 / Getty Images / Photo: Rachel Murray

More and more Chicagoans have been calling for the removal or recontextualization of the Balbo monument, which was gifted to the city in 1933 by Italian dictator Benito Mussolini and honors Air Force Marshal and Fascist organizer Italo Balbo. But what exactly does that process look like? One of Chicago's foremost visual artists, Kerry James Marshall floated an intriguing addendum idea on Monday night—one that aims squarely at the dictator himself, according to the Tribune.

"A friend and former teacher of mine did a painting of the mutilated body of Mussolini and his girlfriend hanging upside down after they were killed by a mob at the end of the war," Marshall said on Monday evening while speaking at the annual Fifth Star Honors at Steppenwolf Theatre. "You could add that if you really wanted to make it an anti-fascist thing ... there are places on the memorial, like the column, where you could make an addition."

(We might insert a parenthetical here noting that the column to which Marshall refers actually predates the monument itself: it's a 2,000-year-old Roman antiquity that was fashioned atop a stone base to create the gift.)

Marshall—who, as Kim Janssen of the Trib points out, has put forth the idea of adding contextual supplements to other existing historical monuments—also reportedly said he'd prefer to see the Robert E. Lee statue in Charlottesville similarly supplemented, but added that he generally steers clear of public-art work in general.

Protestors last week demonstrated in front of the monument (which stands near Soldier Field), calling for its removal and urging that Balbo Drive be renamed. Several aldermen have signaled their support for the removal, and a renaming of the drive. Mayor Rahm Emanuel last week said he was open to the idea, according to the Sun-Times. Although no word yet as to his thoughts on a mutilated-Mussolini attachment.

[H/T Tribune]