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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 memorialized history with monolithic, rigid objects that isolate history and take it out of context. These mammoth objects tried, unsuccessfully, to make the person or event immortal and unchanging. The living monument flips this around. Living monuments evolved and considered the wider context of interrelated connections that make up history. Living monuments focused on how history can be made alive, immediate, and relevant to people.
Lauren Meranda, founder of Studio Brazen and professor of design at NEIU, discussed her research on monuments, memorials, and the role of the designer in the creation of public memory. She shared 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.