Dan Flavin's "Monument" series for V. Tatlin stands out as a pivotal endeavor in the artist's career, blending art with technology while reflecting on historical utopian aspirations. The series, initiated in 1964 and continuing until 1990, includes thirty-nine works dedicated to Vladimir Tatlin, a seminal figure in the post-revolutionary Russian avant-garde. Tatlin's Monument to the Third International, an ambitious yet unrealized project, envisioned a colossal, spiraling tower embodying the revolutionary zeal of the era. Flavin's fluorescent light sculptures echo Tatlin's fusion of art and technological innovation and his dream of merging art with science. Despite their technological appearance, Flavin's works employ ordinary materials, emphasizing a minimalist, "low tech" approach contrary to the grandiose technological ambitions of Tatlin's monument.

Flavin's series critically engages with the concept of monuments. By naming the series "monuments" for V. Tatlin and utilizing quotation marks, Flavin imbues the works with a sense of irony. This choice underscores the impermanent nature of his medium—fluorescent lights that will eventually expire, challenging the traditional notion of monuments as enduring tributes. Through this series, Flavin not only pays homage to Tatlin and his unfulfilled vision but also prompts reflection on the nature of artistic legacy, the intersection of art and technology, and the fleeting essence of revolutionary ideals.

The series is thus a complex interplay of homage, critique, and meditation on art's role in society, marked by Flavin's distinctive use of commercial fluorescent lighting to create sculptures that are visually minimal yet conceptually rich​ (The Museum of Modern Art)​​ (National Gallery of Art)​.