Remembrance

    Sorrow. Nostalgia. Pride. Memorials evoke all of these emotions, going beyond the one-dimensional surface of extravagant physicality and quality. Instead of recalling specific events and deeds, memorials drive us to focus more on the legacy and ideology of the person or event left behind. Therefore, in this case, textbooks do a better job at accurately representing history. They are created with an accumulation of information based purely on facts, with their sole purpose being to inform and teach the readers about the past. In contrast, memorials go into more depth and have more abstract meanings, leaving room for personal interpretation and impact. Creators of memorials seek emotional resonance, wanting to leave visitors with a sense of poignance. Consequently, memorials incorporate various symbols and design features that allow for the spreading of a message beyond the simple recollection and explanation of chronological events. In class, we learned about how space is utilized in structures such as the Thiepval Memorial. Despite having contradictory definitions, absence is used to emphasize presence. The size or the noticeability of the open space visibly seen in the memorial, showcases the magnitude of the sacrifice; individuals who were physically lost in the Battles of the Somme are represented in the gaps of the monument. People also selectively chose the locations at which these structures would be constructed, often debating between busy, lively areas and secluded, quiet locations for optimal reflection. For different monuments, these choices often varied. However, all in all, I took away that designers of memorials want to imprint events/people and highlight the significance of their contribution to the progression of the world.