In a Phoenix neighborhood‚ an odd sight has caught the eye of passersby: a lawn adorned with campaign signs for Thomas Dewey‚ Barry Goldwater‚ and Aaron Burr. This peculiar display isnt a prank but an art installation thats been making rounds across the US every four years since 08.
Barbara VanDenburgh‚ a local resident stumbled upon this unusual exhibit and shared photos on social media‚ dubbing it a “graveyard to failed American presidential campaigns“. She initially thought it was the work of an eccentric collector‚ unaware of its broader significance.
The installation‚ titled “Monument to the Unelected“ is the brainchild of artist Nina Katchadourian. It was first commissioned by the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art about 16 years ago and has since become a presidential election cycle tradition. The piece has traveled extensively: gracing gallery walls in San Francisco and even decorating windows of a major newspaperʼs headquarters in DC.
Carrie Tovar‚ whoʼs hosted the display before says it attracts quite a few visitors. “People are so interested in looking at each of the signs‚ perhaps reminiscing about elections they remember participating in‚ and then learning so much about American history as well‚“ she explained. Tovar appreciates the factual yet whimsical nature of the exhibit.
The installation features 59 losing candidates from John Adams to Donald Trump. Katchadourian will add a 60th sign after the upcoming election (which is just weeks away). Despite its political subject matter‚ the artist insists the piece is “apolitical“ – simply a series of facts presented in a modern aesthetic.
It might initially look like a prank But its actually talking about something that I think we all have a lot at stake in. Who we elect to office is a big deal
The ongoing relevance of “Monument to the Unelected“ 16 years after its inception speaks to the enduring fascination with American electoral history and the what-ifs of past campaigns