Light of Freedom
There\u2019s a new sculpture at the Smithsonian\u2019s Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden: a giant torch that\u2019s strikingly familiar \u2013 and entirely unique. Artist Abigail DeVille has reimagined the Statue of Liberty\u2019s torch to shine a light on historical contradictions of American freedom. Through her work, DeVille asks us to re-examine the stories we\u2019ve inherited as a nation, including the story of Lady Liberty herself. As it turns out, the statue holding her torch alight in New York Harbor today has come to stand for something very different from its original intention. Born out of the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020, Light of Freedom reflects the historical origins of the Statue of Liberty and challenges us to confront the idea that liberty itself is a work in progress. \xa0
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