Following the toppling of the statue of Edward Colston in Bristol and the contentious removal of four statues outside the Shelbourne Hotel (and recent announcement of their reinstatement), we are all re-appraising how we remember, honour and reconsider our past with its chequered history.
In light of all this, In Memory Of is the most timely of publications. Exploring what may be considered a ‘collective consciousness’ and how best to navigate the tricky terrain of static versus fluid recognition architecture.
From Peter Eisenman’s Memorial to the Murdered Jews in Berlin to the Irish Hunger Memorial in New York, the physical acts of memory and what informed them are tellingly assessed.
Closer to home, whilst not included in this text, the Kindred Spirits sculpture in Midleton by Alex Pentex, which commemorates the 1847 donation by the Native American Choctaw People to Irish famine relief, marks a notably considered new addition to our canon.
In Memory Of: Designing Contemporary Memorials by Spencer Bailey (Phaidon) is published on October 8, €65
