Monuments, politics and space

Abstract

Statues, temples, memorials and other imponent symbolic forms are material representations of past events which constitute part of some urban public space landscape. They are intentionally political, objects, communicating messages directed to celebration, contestation or memorialization, aiming both the present and the future. However, they are submitted to different interpretations. This paper reviews some studies considering monuments associated to conflicts of national, religious, racial and class identity, as well war memorials. Among the exemples are those located in Paris, Moscou, Rome, Athens, Washington, Tashkent, Richmond and Auschwitz.