Why Is It Important To Create A Memorial?

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Memorialization of a person, place, or event can be done through a wide spectrum of mediums. This can range from building statues, creating parks, and building monuments. Monuments are fabricated in order to commemorate something monumental that occurred sometime in our history, whether it be an influential person or a critical battle. Planning and creating a memorial is an extremely complex processes as you have to take in consideration size, location, and materials needed to construct the memorial.
When commemorating and preserving something historical through erecting a monument, it is important to take into consideration the scale of the project as well as the materials. Scale and materials are pivotal as too much can over glorify something …show more content…

The design was not approved due to it being “too massive… the massive building would overcome The Mall and take away the main purpose of the museum, which was meant to be a place of remembrance and not to overpower The Mall or its visitors.” (Musser, Source E). In order to combat the criticism, the project was downsized and although it was disliked, it was approved. Providing the proper material for adequate respect and durability is quite crucial, as well. Take “The Maine Lobster Man” statue for example, this statue was planned to be cast in bronze but, due to lack of funds, it never was and was simply painted bronze. “The statue was vandalized, repaired, and ended up in a warehouse where it was eaten by rats.” (Roadside America, Source F). The material and finishing was poor, leading it to be destroyed. Using proper material and coupling it with symbolism could make for something truly astonishing. When planning the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Maya Lin had the brilliant idea to use large black granite slabs, two to be exact, pointing towards two already existing monuments. She used that and the reflexive properties of the granite to make something truly memorable and …show more content…

The importance of where an homage will be established is echoed by Kirk Savage “The public monument speaks to a deep need for attachment that can be met only in a real place, where the imagined community actually materializes and the existence of the nation is confirmed in a simple and powerful way. The experience is… grounded in the felt connection of individual to collective body.” (Savage, Source A). When you memorialize an important occurrence or person in history, you want it somewhere serene and peaceful or meaningful rather than in a crowded suburb next to a fast food restaurant. Regardless of beauty, you want a monument in a place it belongs. Different ideas were being kicked around concerning a plan for a Holocaust memorial which would be built in The Mall in Washington D.C. but controversy shrouded the plans for such a memorial. Communities were outraged by the idea of a Holocaust museum on American soil due to the fact that “a museum dedicated to the memory of the Holocaust would be built in the United States, who did little to stop the holocaust from occurring.” (Musser, Source E). In this situation, practicality rules over the prestige of The Mall in Washington D.C. One must consider that The Mall really is not a valid place for a Holocaust memorial, honoring those who died when the United States turned a

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