Monuments of the Disclosed

Proceeds benefit: Protocinema and the National Whistleblower Center
Artist: Ahmet Öğüt

Inspired by the acts of multiple truth-tellers, artist Ahmet Öğüt collaborated with Artwrld to create Monuments of the Disclosed–a collection of digital monuments to nine historical whistleblowers. Individuals who, often at tremendous personal sacrifice, exposed the fraud, malintent and wrongdoing of unfettered power; and who, more often than not, remain unrecognized for their acts of courage.

The story of Monuments of the Disclosed as told by Ahmet Öğüt

In a time when the conversation about monument-making and unmaking are in flux, I wanted to create monuments that spoke to courageous acts of resistance rather than standing for powerful institutions. While each of the nine NFTs represents an individual, the work they risked everything for was for the greater good and so these busts stand for more than themselves.

This project imagines another kind of world with monuments dedicated to under-known heroes. By imagining diverse monuments not at risk of removal by the powers in the digital world, I wanted to emphasize that there is no singular narrative while at the same time present the possibility that these could become real, once distributed in the minds of many.

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The National Whistleblower Center is a tax-exempt, non-partisan organization based in Washington, DC whose mission is to support whistleblowers in their efforts to expose and help prosecute corruption and other wrongdoing around the world.
Protocinema is a cross-cultural art organization that commissions and presents site-aware art around the world. Their purpose is to support dialogue between cultures on equal footing and create opportunities for listening and expression.