She never ceases to amaze. American artist Kara Walker‘s latest piece, a 13-meter tall working fountain titled Fons Americanus, is currently installed at the Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall {until April 5, 2020}. This text is a snippet of the description from the Tate:

“Fons Americanus is inspired by the Victoria Memorial in front of Buckingham Palace, London. The memorial was designed in 1901 and unveiled in 1911 to honour the achievements of Queen Victoria who was the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (1837–1901), as well as the Empress of India. Rather than a celebration of the British Empire, Walker’s fountain inverts the usual function of a memorial and questions narratives of power. Walker explores the interconnected histories of Africa, America and Europe. She uses water as a key theme, referring to the transatlantic slave trade and the ambitions, fates and tragedies of people from these three continents. Bringing together fact, fantasy and fiction, Fons Americanus stands as a representation of this narrative in the form of an allegory or fable.”

So powerful. And that is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the meaning and importance of this work. Read the entire article on the Tate’s site RIGHT HERE. 

*All photos from tate.org.uk, Matt Greenwood