So , how do we understand the critical significance of design , art , architecture and action in the public sphere upon conceiving and creating memorial spaces and democratic public spaces ? How can we contribute to elaborate the ethical implications of Arendt ’ s description of the public sphere , and by extension the democratic public space , as “ the space of appearance ” in the widest sense of the word ? How do we position ourselves as architects , artists , teachers , and students , when working on such projects ? Architectures , landscapes and public spaces , serve to frame human experience , and at the same time , are catalysts for the process of memory . Historically the architect ’ s role has been to create a theater for action and of memory , capable of embodying truths that make it possible to affirm life and contemplate a better future . While we , as architects ( and artists ), imagine projects and embark on journeys that leave traces over the skin of the earth , our work often lies in unveiling , unearthing and uncovering , as well as anchoring histories and memories in and onto territories , sites , and cities . It is in the face of catastrophes , historic traumas , and human injustices that the architect ’ s ( and artist ’ s ) public roles become increasingly complex and problematic but also necessary .
Memorials , Monuments , Public Space
A memorial ’ s historic role is to preserve a memory of the past and provide conditions for new responses to and in the present . “ Memorial ”, “ memento ”, “ monument ” ( like “ monitor ”) suggest not only commemoration but also to be aware – to mind and remind , warn , advise , and to call for action . As our political and ethical companions , memorials should function as environments for thinking about the past and the present , fostering a new critical consciousness in democratic public space . The Latin word monumentum derives from the verb monere (“ to warn ”), and thus signifies something that serves to caution , or remind with regard to conduct of future events . Instead of a form , a shape , or an image , monumentality may well be a quality , the quality that some places or objects have to make us recall , evoke , think , and perceive something beyond themselves . As a place of memory work and common remembrance , a monument or memorial is intended to be historically referential . As embodiments of memory through art in the public realm , their value is not only based upon or derived from the artwork but from their ability to direct attention to larger issues , a certain point beyond themselves . As James Young notes in The Texture of Memory : “ their material presence is meant to turn invisible , transparent , bridging between the individual memory work and the events or people
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Observing Memories ISSUE 4