The Need for Monumentality

 Every period has the impulse to create symbols in the form of monuments, which, according to the Latin meaning are ‘things that remind’, things to be transmitted to later generations.  This demand for monumentality cannot, in the long run, be suppressed.  It tries to find an outlet at all costs –Sigfried Giedion

According to Lange, a monument is an object whose function is to mark a place, either at the places boundary or at it’s heart.  He goes on to say, “a monument must mark a place of more than private importance or interest.  The act of marking is then a public act, and the act of recognition an expectable public act among the members of the society, which possesses the space,”.  Society takes possession of public places and celebrates it. 

Statues are one form of monument erected to keep alive the memory of a particular person or event in a given culture.  Statues are often idealized works of art that contain ideological, political, or religious representations that many times become eternal features.  They often last many generations and become a symbol for the community around them.  The different symbols being displayed in statues, remind us of the different values of the different cultures.  

As a wave of “statuomania” swept over the world in the 1990s, many huge statues were built.  Most of them are located in Asia and represent the Buddha.  According to Buddhist tradition, sacred objects such as statues provide a uniquely powerful means by which we can bring to mind the positive attitudes that are essential to the development of loving-kindness.  A Buddha’s image is used as an inspiration for creating and spreading positive human qualities like love and peace.  In many ways statues such as this can evoke strong emotion and allow us to experience many feelings. 

Architecture can often provide an important space for remembering.  Architecture has increasingly become a space for the memorialization of socially significant memories, including loss.  An example of architecture that is commemorating loss is the Ground Zero site.  This site shows how powerful a monument can truly be.  In the words of Libeskind, “the project is a “healing of New York”, a “site of memory” and “a space to witness the resilience of America”.  In a way, I think monuments can truly be amazing in that they can serve as a symbol for hope or other such feelings and serve as a significant role in the lives of people all around the world. 

When thinking about the architecture and construction of memorization, I would like to repeat Jones’ question: What memories are fit for commemoration?  What is it about a certain event or person that makes one want to honor them?