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How does a 17-foot-long, 5-foot-high sculpture disappear in less than a day? Well, it’s made of ice. On Wednesday, October 15, a giant ice sculpture spelling out the word “democracy” appeared on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Behind it sat the U.S. Capitol building, creating a dramatic juxtaposition of symbols. The Capitol, a site where democracy is supposed to be upheld, was within view of the word that was doing the opposite—it was melting in front of spectators’ eyes.
Titled Last Call—DemocracyICED, the 3,000-pound site-specific work was created by artists Nora Ligorano and Marshall Reese. Part installation and part performance, the dripping democracy was accompanied by speakers. Writers from D.C. and Baltimore read entries from historian Heather Cox Richardson’s “Letters from an American” in half-hour shifts until the sculpture melted. Ligorano and Reese also took to the lectern to speak about the project and the urgency with which it communicates.
“Nearly 20 years later [after George W. Bush’s presidency and the Patriot Act], our democracy is so much further weakened than it was then,” Ligorano said, “with the continued expansion of executive power, the militarization of our streets, attacks on the rule of law and weakening of our voters’ rights, the dismantling of public health and scientific research.”
Last Call—DemocracyICED was commissioned by the Up In Arms campaign, which is an effort led by Ben Cohen, the co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. The project is intended to spotlight the rise of authoritarianism and militarism in the U.S. “Showing in real life that democracy is melting away before our very eyes,” Cohen told The Washington Post, “I think it’s a powerful symbol that helps express the feelings and the sadness and the horror of Americans.”
The hope is that the literal slow-dripping disappearance of democracy will encourage reflection and ultimately spur people to action. “The takeaway is that it’s inevitable that this thing is going to melt down into nothing, but it’s not inevitable that our democracy is going to melt away,” explained Rob Weissman, president of the government accountability group Public Citizen, who was also present. “So people have to be active, as they are, and the more we engage… the more we have a chance of democracy being restored.
The sculpture was installed just days before the planned No Kings rallies happening in all 50 states on October 18. Millions of people are planning to participate in a protest against the authoritarianism and militarism of U.S. cities. Washington, D.C., will be the largest protest. “It’s time for us all to resist, speak up, and save our democracy,” Reese implored, “before it’s too late.”
A 3,000-pound site-specific ice sculpture spelling “democracy” appeared on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on October 15.
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Created by artists Nora Ligorano and Marshall Reese, the sculpture melted throughout the day.
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Nora Ligorano and Marshall Reese: Instagram
Sources: On the National Mall, ‘Democracy’ drips in daylight; 3,000-Pound ‘Democracy’ Ice Sculpture Melts Away By The U.S. Capitol
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