Room 2
12:45 - 13:15
English
Talk
Everyone
Access to Arts & Culture
Beyond Our Walls: Digital Museums and Monuments

Kurzthese

Since the 67 Uprising, the divides that separate Metro Detroit have significantly expanded. In recognition, the Detroit Historical Society launched Detroit 67. The Society collected the personal narratives of 500 Detroiters which became the backbone of the project. The exhibit, propelled by new levels of public engagement, embraced novel technology, digital avenues, and focused heavily on free web-based deliverables. This expanded commitment to accessible history was paramount to its success.

Beschreibung

Inequitable representations of diversity still remain in public spaces. Monuments are architectural objects that serve as important symbols for the community and become markers of territorialization. The research is not aimed at continuing the crucial debate regarding removal of specific monuments. Rather, it encourages new constructions that more accurately expresses the values of local communities and histories by examining the latent symbolism, postures, and demeanors of said monuments. Open debates and transparent decision-making processes need to be present from the conversations regarding the disposition of memorializing public spaces. The proper production of cultural symbols in the landscape should not just be for the sake of inclusion but serve as accurate evidence of historical facts, raise awareness to the circumstances under which they were conceived, and embody collective virtues. Not only do meanings of monuments change, but many were commissioned by immigrant populations in hopes of assimilation. 

We talk about diversity of representation in film, music, and art- monuments, or architectures for that matter, should be no exception. Taking cues from Sert, Léger, and Giedion’s 9 Points of Monumentality, the research investigates how photogrammetry can generate flexible monuments that allow communities to reclaim spatial stewardship over urban neighborhoods.