Wayne White Monitorium at Virginia MOCA

Monitorium was a large-scale, immersive installation presented from September 16, 2017 - February 11, 2018, at the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art in Virginia Beach. The exhibition reimagined the historic 1862 Battle of Hampton Roads—the first naval engagement between ironclad warships—through a carefully constructed environment of monumental puppets, sculptural elements, sound, lighting, and theatrical staging. Drawing on extensive research and collaboration with maritime historians and institutions, including The Mariners’ Museum and NOAA’s Monitor National Marine Sanctuary, the project translated this pivotal moment in American naval history into an experiential narrative that emphasized the human scale of the conflict. Developed with contributions from Joshua Liner, Monitorium exemplified Wayne White’s interdisciplinary practice, merging historical inquiry with imaginative interpretation to transform the gallery into an evocative, story-driven environment.

Wooden sculptures of a clock, a man with a pipe, and a man with a mustache, displayed indoors in a museum.
Artistic sculptures in a museum exhibit
Decorative black wall with portholes showing scenes of a battleship, a ship at harbor, and a mythical creature with a crown and flowing hair
Artistic sculptures of abstract faces and objects in a gallery with black walls and wooden floors, illuminated by spotlights.
Large abstract puppet figure with exaggerated features and painted details, including a long nose, wearing a black outfit with a scarf, standing on a dark stage with a red curtain and a smaller puppet figure hanging above.
Colorful abstract sculptures of two characters, one with a mustache and hat, and another with a large head, set against a dark wall with colorful lighting.
A detailed miniature model of an industrial scene with machinery, scattered gears, and stylized human figures inside a black and white painted structure.
A man with a beard in a black suit standing next to a large wooden monogram clock with the words 'Montmor' and the year 1862 on it, holding a hat in his right hand.