News / Edward Colston
First look at Colston statue on display at M Shed
There is a gap on one wall at the M Shed where more of the story of the Colston statue can still be written.
With the four people charged with criminal damage to the statue due to appear at Bristol Crown Court in December, the story of the statue is far from over.
For now, visitors to the M Shed can see the bronze statue made by the Coalbrookdale Company in Staffordshire, with the breakages and graffiti still visible from the afternoon of June 7 2020.
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Before the statue went on display to the public, UWE associate professor of cultural interdisciplinary practice and member of the We Are Bristol History Commission, Dr Shawn Sobers, told Bristol24/7
“The thing about the Colston statue, it came down in an impromptu way… all of a sudden it became an artefact that was then – in a way – presented to the museum services.
“So it wasn’t something that was planned. We have found ourselves in this position and we saw it as a good opportunity to work together.
“The display isn’t about celebrating or commiserating what happened on June 7, but it’s looking at it as an opportunity to consult the people of Bristol as to what they want to see happen next.”
Dr Shawn Sobers at the Colston statue display at the M Shed – photo: Martin Booth
Also on display on the first floor of the M Shed alongside the statue are placards from the Black Lives Matter protest that was taking place as the statue was toppled and thrown into the docks.
There is also contemporaneous news coverage from around the world on what happened in Bristol that day and during the days afterwards, including the All Lives Matter protesters ‘defending’ the cenotaph.
The unveiling of the Colston statue – photo: Bristol Culture
The timeline of the Colston statue is not yet over – photo: Martin Booth
Ray Barnett, the head of collections & archives for Bristol City Council, said that the display “is the start of something, it’s not a final exhibition at all”.
Barnett said that the idea of the display is to put the statue “into context and now asking people about their thoughts and views as to what should happen next”.
Black Lives Matter placards from the day the statue was toppled are on display – photo: Martin Booth
Interviewed on The One Show on Thursday evening, mayor Marvin Rees said that “Bristol needs a space to come together after an event that potentially was very divisive”.
Rees says that he hopes the display at the M Shed can provide that space.
The free exhibition includes an online survey that will help decide the future of the Colston statue and also the empty plinth on the centre where the statue once stood.
The statue is on display with the graffiti and damage it sustained on June 7 2020 – photo: Martin Booth
Main photo: Martin Booth
Read more: BBC Two documentary ‘Statue Wars’ follows Marvin Rees after Colston toppling
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