‘Filling the Void’: Absence, Memory and Politics in Place Clichy

摘要

In 1899, a statue of Charles Fourier was inaugurated in Place Clichy in Paris. The monument's proponents hoped that the statue would breathe new life into Fourierism and draw younger adherents to this brand of utopian socialism. The statue attracted little attention, however, until its disappearance. In December 1941, Fourier's statue, like thousands of others throughout France, was dismantled by the Vichy regime, its bronze sent to Nazi Germany for munitions. Since then the empty base has become the site of frequent and strident political and artistic activity and a rebirth of Fourierism. The Surrealists, the Situationist International and, most recently, the Coordination des Intermittents et Précaires have looked to Fourier and his absent statue to further their own causes, be they revolutionary, utopian, or concerned with social justice, all the while leading to a rediscovery of Fourier's thought and its popularisation. What is interesting about the evocation of memory at this site, however, is that—contrary to the intentions of the statue's nineteenth-century champions—it is its absence that has led to memory work, and the destruction of Fourier's physical representation that has led to a resurgence of interest in his philosophy.En 1899, un monument est érigé Place Clichy en l'honneur de Charles Fourier. Les Fouriéristes espéraient que la statue attirerait de nouveaux adhérents au mouvement socialiste utopique. Mais l'intérêt suscitée par la statue fut négligeable jusqu'à sa disparition en décembre 1941. Sous le régime de Vichy le monument à Fourier, comme tant d'autres partout en France, est « mobilisé », son métal non ferreux expédié en Allemagne Nazie. Depuis, le piédestal est devenu un site de protestations politiques et artistiques et donne lieu à une résurgence de Fouriérisme. Les Surréalistes, L'International Situationniste, et plus récemment La Coordination des Intermittents et Précaires ont mis le socle de Fourier au service de leurs causes, qu'elles soient révolutionnaires, utopiques ou dévouées à la promotion de la justice sociale. Ce qui est frappant en ce qui concerne ce lieu de mémoire c'est que, contrairement aux intentions des Fouriéristes, c'est précisément l'absence de la statue de Fourier qui, depuis, ravive sa mémoire et stimule un intérêt pour sa philosophie.View full textDownload full textRelated var addthis_config = { ui_cobrand: "Taylor & Francis Online", services_compact: "citeulike,netvibes,twitter,technorati,delicious,linkedin,facebook,stumbleupon,digg,google,more", pubid: "ra-4dff56cd6bb1830b" }; Add to shortlist Link Permalink http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09639480903504250