so those images are from a student design/build public art project at UW. its right in front of the administration bldg last spring. and here's what they had to say about it at www.studypublicart.org:

"This project was commissioned by the Seattle Department of Transportation for a large traffic median site near the University of Washington Campus and the U-District neighborhood and business district. The students designed and built a public art environment using steel and a concrete path that reflects the spirit of the university and the district, serving as a node and meeting place for the two. The theme of the artwork is the power of a voice to create community, dialogue, or change. The podium element inspires the voice; the table implies successful communication; the overturned table implies activism, change, or revolution. Quotes from renowned world leaders and social activists surround the space on eight steel benches. The title of the work is "Give Voice"."

in an anonymous course we talked about whatit means to people...was it successful in creating the counter narrative that we thought it intended to? we thought it was literally supposed to be a place for protest. and somebody made the hilarious analogy b/c its so fixed and bronzed that it looks more like a memorial to a protest...like those bronze baby booties. an example of what happens when you designate a place for resistance. almost nobody goes through there and there definitely haven't been any protests there. but now that i read what they had to say about it....it doesn't neccessarily seem to be a place literally for protest. with their use of the word "theme" i kind of get the impression that it is not a place for action but in a way a celebration of action???