Antimonumnents in the context of contemporary war memorials

摘要

The thesis concentrates on the concept of antimonumnent as a critique of traditional monument, which has been recognized as one of mechanisms of political and social control. The selection of examples in the text is limited to the war memorials and memorials connected with the consequences of war, such as Holocaust, the position of veterans in society, terrorism... Contemporary artists which produce war antimonumnents attempt to modernise the function and therefore also the form of the monument itself. The these is illustrated through examples of work of Jochem in Esther Shalev-Gertz, Horst Hoheisel, Norbert Redermacher and works of architects such as Peter Eiseman, Maya Lin, Michael Arad and others. With the inversion of the monument under ground surface; with reduction to the minimalist form; with creating an atmosphere and space more than the clear narrative; with temporary character of happening and installation; artists try to stress that monument can never replace our own critical relationship to memory. New forms in memorials have their impact on memorials message, which is becoming more and more diffuse and open to personal interpretation and it also influences the ways events re-enter political life.