Go figure: do statues in public spaces really mean anything?

Newcastle is brimming with public statues. At least 33 can be found in the city centre alone – but could you name some of them? I could barely name any, as I embarrassingly discovered.

But I wouldn’t be the only one, because anecdotal evidence seems pretty clear that very few people, particularly of a younger age, pay attention to statues. Every day, we walk straight past them. At most, they get a vague “that looks nice” before moving on.

From this, a question begins to take shape: do public statues still mean anything? They clearly did in Victorian times, when a large number of sculptures in the were erected in UK cities, often to commemorate people who played a role in the city, of course, the British empire. This is one reason why statues are blindsided today: they represent things from long ago that feel unrelatable to the modern public. Also, there’s a lot of them. To the point where we ignore them because they’re so conventional - hence their dry, stuffy reputation.

Only tourists are sometimes more inclined to look at statues more than most, because they actively want to learn about their destination. And indeed, there’s a lot you can find out about a city from its statues. They can tell you about its history, heritage and culture. I’ve actually found some pretty cool things about Newcastle as I’ve been researching: there are former Newcastle managers outside St. James’, and the mysterious walking, standing and floating men by Central Station represent the alter egos of the average Newcastle working man.

Also, most importantly, they look good. All are works of art that required skill and effort to create, and many are truly impressive. Imagine Monument without its eponymous column, or Haymarket without the memorial by the metro. Even if people don’t pay attention to their meaning, the atmosphere of grandeur and impressiveness they bring to an otherwise relatively ordinary street or square is invaluable.

Of course, the problem arises of who is put on the pedestal. Statues can be divisive when they commemorate people who have done less-than-savoury things. But this shows at least that people do pay attention to statues, that they still play a role, whether positive or negative. Because ultimately our public space shapes where we live and how we experience our lives.