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Rumors of War

Richmond, United States of America

Rumors of War

Rumors of War is a series of artworks by Kehinde Wiley examining equestrian portraiture in the canon of Western art history culminating in a bronze monumental equestrian statue by the artist of an African-American young man (with dreadlocks in a ponytail, jeans ripped at the knees and Nike high-top

sneakers). The statue was created as a response to the statue of Confederate General J.E.B. Stuart in Richmond, Virginia in particular and similar statues of high-ranking Confederate Army officers, some of which still stand in the United States despite persistent calls for their removal. Since the installation of Rumors of War in Richmond, all of the statues of the military leaders of the Confederacy have been removed from Monument Avenue where they had been since the first decade of the 20th century. In September 2019 Wiley unveiled the work in Times Square in the borough of Manhattan in New York City with the backing of the Malcolm X Shabazz High School band from Newark, New Jersey. There it was displayed amidst a sea of electronic billboards. This project was produced in collaboration with Times Square Arts, Sean Kelly Gallery and UAP. The work, which is Wiley's largest at 27 feet high...

Listen to the audio guide for Rumors of War Free on WIP — starts by itself when you arrive, even with the screen off

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