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Do monuments matter? Must they be forever carved in granite and steel? Who/what is worthy of monumentalization and who gets to decide?

The living monument concept represents a new paradigm in how we memorialize the past. Traditionally, we memorialize history with monolithic, rigid objects that isolate history and take it out of context. These mammoth objects try, unsuccessfully, to make the person or event immortal and unchanging. The living monument flips this around. Living monuments evolve and consider the wider context of interrelated connections that make up history. Living monuments focus on how history can be made alive, immediate, and relevant to people.

Lauren Meranda, founder of Studio Brazen and professor of design at NEIU talks about her research on monuments, memorials, and the role of the designer in the creation of public memory. She shares her most recent monument project with the National Public Housing Museum, At Home: Ephemeral Monuments to Public Housing Residents.

Learn more about Lauren’s Studio Brazen.