At the end of last year I posted the following, facetious tweet: Today marks exactly X year(s) since something crucial happened. It is very important that we remember this vitally significant anniversary. My apparently inane twittering represented a conscious attempt to poke fun at our collective obsessions with the past. It feels as if every chronological coincidence is pounced upon as an excuse for commemorating something that simply must be recalled. Proof of this will be in abundant supply in 2012. A cavalcade of all things Dickensian will mark the fact that one of England's greatest writers happened to be born exactly 200 years ago. Charles Dickens will be deployed as a cultural flagbearer during the London Olympics. Yet how members of the sporting fraternity will actually pick up a book by Dickens is far from certain... Moreover, before we get carried away with what is remembered, it's always a good idea to ferret out those things that have been conveniently forgotten or suppressed. And what better day on which to consider the overlooked than 1st January 2012? This is because exactly ten years ago something truly momentous happened. But no matter how hard you listen, you'll hear no fanfare or fireworks. There are no pageants or celebratory get-togethers. No back-slapping congratulations and high-spirited toasts. Why? Because the birthday to which I refer is a mournful affair. A decade after its birth this prematurely aged ten-year-old is adrift: "floating without steering or mooring; drifting... [W]ithout purpose; aimless... off course."(1) Adrift. There could be no better word to describe the Euro. This shiny new currency was introduced shortly after midnight on 1st January 2002. As the clock struck midnight "celebratory fireworks exploded above the European Central Bank headquarters in Frankfurt. The Pont Neuf in Paris was lit up in European Union blue, with 12 rays of light to symbolise the 12 nations circulating the euro."(2) The skies are dark a decade hence. Our politicians don't have time to get nostalgic about the past. They are too busy fretting about the future. The tenth anniversary of the Euro is adrift. How terribly appropriate. ____ Notes (1) Collins Dictionary, London & Glasgow, 1987, p.16. (2) Nicholas Kulish, "To be franc, after 10 years the euro has failed to make its mark", 02/01/2012, Sydney Morning Herald, accessed 01/01/2012 at, http://www.smh.com.au/world/to-be-franc-after-10-years-the-euro-has-failed-to-make-its-mark-20120101-1ph5x.html. _ Today is the day of Václav Havel's funeral. To mark this occasion I have been reading his remarkable "Letter to Dr Gustáv Husák, General Secretary of the Czechoslovak Communist Party". This is dated 8th April 1975, shortly before Husák assumed the presidency of Czechoslovakia. He held this post until 1989. His successor was Václav Havel. This is a remarkable turn of events given that the Husák regime imprisoned Havel for his political beliefs. In his letter of 1975, Havel makes a number of fascinating comments about history.(1) For Havel, "true" or "real" history is chaotic. It comprises a whole series of unique, unrepeatable events. It follows, therefore, that only a truly vibrant society – "a society that is really alive" – is capable of appreciating and generating true / real history. The antithesis of this authentic history is what Havel calls "pseudo-history", the author of which is "not the life of society, but an official planner." These apparatchiks substitute "the disquieting dimension of history" with a remorseless succession of "non-events": stilted, stifling and repetitive anniversaries, celebrations, parades, congresses. These are used by governments to maintain the pretence that "history is moving". The result is that, thanks to this substitution for history, we are able to review everything that is happening in society, past and future, by simply glancing at the calendar. And the notoriously familiar character of the recurrent rituals makes such information quite as adequate as if we had been present at the events themselves. This raises a slightly tricky dilemma, however. Václav Havel is likely to be commemorated by a phalanx of "recurrent rituals", including anniversaries, celebrations and perhaps even the occasional congress or two. Maybe his birthday – 5 October – will become "Václav Havel Day". But wouldn't it be awful if this became just another "non-event" in the commemorative calendar? Surely the worst possible way of remembering Havel would be to enlist him to the cause of pseudo-history; to trap him in all the "trappings of state"?(2) With this in mind, any incipient "Václav Havel Day" must be a madcap mix of "the continuous and the changing, the regular and the random, the foreseen and the unexpected". It should be a moment of radical reflection – as much about the present and future as about the past. A true "Václav Havel Day" would be an occasion to bring our societies to account in all sorts of innovative and satirical ways. Put simply: to create true history. This would safeguard us from falling into a nostalgic yearning for a pseudo-past and succumbing to the dead hand of pseudo-history. Václav Havel is sadly no longer alive. It is up to us to ensure that he goes on living in the realm of true history. ____ Notes (1) The following quotations are derived from Václav Havel's "Letter to Dr Gustáv Husák, General Secretary of the Czechoslovak Communist Party", pp. 3-35 in Living in Truth (Jan Vladislav, ed.) (London: Faber & Faber, 1989). (2) Stuart Hughes, "Vaclav Havel funeral: World leaders pay respects", BBC News, 23/12/2011, accessed, 23/12/2011 at, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-16304858. Cut Croc (or) Lacerated Lacoste __Earlier this month it was announced that a series of London-based museums would be renewing their £10m sponsorship deals with BP.(1) These initials - BP - are derived from "British Petroleum", the name the company adopted in 1954. Some people feel that it is inappropriate for institutions like Tate or the British Museum to accept money from an oil company responsible for such environmental disasters as the Sea Gem oil rig collapse (1965), the Texas City Refinery explosion (2005) and the Deepwater Horizon well explosion in the Gulf of Mexico (2010). However, as the firm is keen to stress, BP means "Beyond Petroleum". Associating itself with art and culture is therefore good for business. But is it good for society? Recipients of financial support - be it in the form of public grants or private sponsorship - need to guard against undue influence or censorship. A cautionary tale is provided by this year's Lacoste Prize at the Musée de l'Elysée in Lausanne, Switzerland. Despite claims to the contrary, it appears that pressure from the sponsor has led to the cancellation of the award.(2) This seems to have been triggered by the Jerusalem-born artist Larissa Sansour and her artwork, Nation Estate (2011-12). Inspired by Palestine's bid for nation status at the UN, Sansour has opted to imagine a dystopian vision of a future world in which the Palestinians have their state in the form of a single skyscraper: the Nation Estate. Surrounded by a concrete wall, this colossal hi-rise houses the entire Palestinian population - finally living the high life. Each city has its own floor: Jerusalem, third floor; Ramallah, fourth floor. Intercity trips previously marred by checkpoints are now made by elevator. Aiming for a sense of belonging, the lobby of each floor re-enacts iconic squares and landmarks - elevator doors on the Jerusalem floor opening onto a full-scale Dome of the Rock. Built outside the actual city of Jerusalem, the building also has views of the original golden dome from the top floors.(3) Executives at Lacoste felt that all this was a far cry from the competition's theme of happiness ("joie de vivre"). Lacoste's sweet little "green crocodile logo" was clearly about to lose its cheeky grin.(4) So the company sought to close the elevator doors on Larissa Sansour's Nation Estate. If this was their intention, then the opposite has transpired. I would never have heard of Larissa Sansour or her thought-provoking sci-fi skyscraper without the helpful intervention of Lacoste. So perhaps private sponsorship isn't such a bad thing after all? ____ Notes (1) Mark Brown, "Galleries renew £10m BP deal despite environmental protests", Guardian, 19/12/2012, accessed 22/12/2012 at, http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2011/dec/19/galleries-renew-bp-deal-protests. (2) "Lacoste Prize cancelled amid censorship row", BBC News, 22/12/2012, accessed 22/12/2012 at, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-16299688. (3) "Nation Estate", accessed 22/12/2012 at, http://www.larissasansour.com/nation_estate.html. (4) "Lacoste logo", accessed 22/12/2012 at, http://www.famouslogos.us/lacoste-logo. _It's a long way from Nottingham to Atlantic City in New Jersey. Carl Froch must therefore have felt particularly far from home yesterday after spending twelve gruelling rounds in the ring with the American boxer, Andre Ward. A unanimous points decision gave Ward the victory and with it Froch's WBC belt.(1) This is the 34-year-old's second defeat of his illustrious boxing career and, to quote BBC Radio Nottingham's Robin Chipperfield, "[it] is unclear where Froch goes from here."(2) Well, one place Carl Froch might go is Nottingham Trent University. He'd make a great guest speaker for my History students. At least, that is, if Wikipedia is to be believed. His encyclopedia entry contains the following memorable sentence: "Froch is an avid fan of Johnny Cash and is also a keen historian with regards to combat."(3) The Nottingham-born boxer would be able to provide an interesting confirmation of why History matters. Surely all good boxers would benefit from a degree in the subject? And, speaking more generally, "every shot fired [has] an echo".(4) This means that, in order to reach a proper understanding of any present-day conflict, we need to know our military history. So, now that his career as a fighter is drawing to an end, perhaps Carl Froch could reinvent himself as an academic historian with a sideline in the history of popular music? A good starting point for a Froch lecture would be Johnny Cash's "The Big Battle" (1962): I see sir the battle's not over; the battle has only begun [...] The battle will rage in the bosom of mother and sweetheart and wife Brother and sister and daughter will grieve for the rest of their lives [...] For though there's no sound of the cannon and though there's no smoke in the sky I'm dropping the gun and the sabre and ready for battle am I. (5) In addition, Froch's professional achievements to date would surely make him a potential candidate for an honorary degree from Nottingham Trent University? After all, he's a local lad who has made a global impact in his chosen field. One day there will be plaques indicating where he lived and sparred. Perhaps he'll even be honoured with a statue adjacent to Brian Clough in Nottingham city centre? As time passes, of course, the sportsman's name will start to become a distant memory. Which is why we need future combat historians to tell us all about Carl "The Cobra" Froch and the place he occupies in boxing history. ____ Notes (1) Anon, "Carl Froch 'bitterly disappointed' by defeat to Andre Ward", Telegraph, 18/12/2011, accessed 18/12/2011 at, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/boxing/8964028/Carl-Froch-bitterly-disappointed-by-defeat-to-Andre-Ward.html. (2) Robin Chipperfield, "BBC man on Carl Froch-watch", BBC News, 18/12/2011, accessed 18/12/2011 at, http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/16236412.stm. (3) "Carl Froch", accessed 18/12/2011 at, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Froch. (4) Johnny Cash, "The Big Battle", Ring of Fire: The Best of Johnny Cash (Columbia, 1963). (5) Cf. John McCrae's famous poem In Flanders Fields (1915): Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields. _ enthusiast, n. [http://oed.com/view/Entry/62880] 3.a. One who is full of "enthusiasm" (see enthusiasm n. 3) for a cause or principle, or who enters with enthusiasm into a pursuit. Llangollen (22/07/2006) _ enthusiasm, n. [http://oed.com/view/Entry/62879] 3.a. Rapturous intensity of feeling in favour of a person, principle, cause, etc.; passionate eagerness in any pursuit, proceeding from an intense conviction of the worthiness of the object. 18 April 1926 - 3 December 2011 _ I am a child of Thatcher’s Britain. As such, one of my earliest political memories was a television interview between Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Diana Gould, a teacher from Gloucestershire. The exchange concerned the highly controversial sinking of the ship, General Belgrano. This occurred during the war between Great Britain and Argentina regarding the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas). Transcripts of the interview are available online, as is the actual television footage.(1) Gould was motivated by a belief that the Belgrano had been in international waters and on a bearing that took it away from the Falklands at the time it was torpedoed by the British submarine, Conqueror with the loss of 323 lives. She felt, moreover, that this action occurred at a time when a peaceful resolution of the conflict was still possible. Gould presented these arguments in a lucid, forceful manner which clearly rattled Thatcher.(2) Diana Gould died a few days ago at the age of 85. Whatever one’s politics, she deserves to be remembered for the courage she demonstrated in standing up to the Iron Lady. I find this as inspirational today as I did as a ten year old schoolboy. We need more Diana Goulds: everyday heroes and heroines who refuse to be cowed into silence by overbearing politicians and gutter-snipe journalists. And remembering Diana Gould obliges us to recall the jingoism of the Falklands campaign. This was encapsulated in a single word: "Gotcha!"(3) That was the infamous headline used by The Sun newspaper on 4th May 1982 to announce the sinking of the Belgrano. Dennis Potter's characterisation of Rupert Murdoch as a cancer in British society finds irrefutable proof in those six letters.(4) Let us hope that future generations opt to celebrate the humble heroism of Diana Gould (1926-2011) rather than choosing to wallow in the belligerence of Margaret Thatcher and the malevolence of Rupert Murdoch. ____ Notes (1) See, for example, "Diana Gould", accessed 09/12/2011 at, http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Diana_Gould. (2) "Diana Gould" (obituary), The Telegraph, 09/12/2011, accessed 09/12/2011 at, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/8944544/Diana-Gould.html. (3) Roy Greenslade, "A new Britain, a new kind of newspaper", The Guardian, 25/02/2002, accessed 09/12/2011 at, http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2002/feb/25/pressandpublishing.falklands. (4) See my first ever blog posting, "Dennis Potter and Rupert", 19/07/2011 available at, http://www.stuartburch.com/1/post/2011/07/dennis-potter-and-rupert.html. _ Miami Art Museum is about to be rechristened. This name change has been prompted by a property developer who has promised to gift the institution art and money totalling $35 million over the next ten years. In return for this generosity the museum will be renamed the Jorge M. Pérez Art Museum of Miami-Dade County. This controversial decision has prompted the resignation of three board members.(1) The feelings of these ex-members of Miami Art Museum’s board are probably as intense as those football fans of Newcastle United who are outraged by the fact that their sporting home is now no longer known as "St James' Park". It is instead "the Sports Direct Arena". This catchy moniker matches the name of the business owned by the club's chairman, Mike Ashley. There are many such examples, from Amex Stadium to KitKat Crescent.(2) But should our museums be co-opted by the egos of rich individuals and the machinations of global brands? Where might all this lead? Tate Starbucks? Courtauld Coca-Cola Institute of Art? Horniman "Happy Meal" Museum? Wallace-Wikipedia Collection? Um, on second thoughts perhaps the Jorge M. Pérez Art Museum of Miami-Dade County isn't quite as radical as it at first seems. Just ask the likes of Sir Henry Tate (1819-99), Samuel Courtauld (1876-1947), Frederick John Horniman (1835-1906) and Sir Richard Wallace (1818-90). All are museumified to such an extent that their names sound dignified and, well, museal. Who knows, the next time you visit the Duveen galleries of Tate Britain or the British Museum they might have been reborn as the Apple Ambulatory and the Google Gallery. No one remembers Sir Joseph Duveen (1869-1939) anyway... ____ Notes (1) Hannah Sampson, "Developer gives $35 million naming donation to Miami Art Museum", Miami Herald, 12/02/2011, accessed 05/12/2011 at, http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/12/02/2528192/developer-gives-35-million-naming.html. (2) David Conn, "Newcastle stadium name-change lacks class and is unworthy of history", The Guardian, 10/11/2011, accessed 05/12/2011 at, http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2011/nov/10/newcastle-united-st-james-renaming. Question What is a museum?
Answer A dumping ground for "all kinds of cultural litter".* * Le Guin, Ursula K. (1971/2001) The Lathe of Heaven (London: Orion), p. 152. Next month the Henry Moore Institute in Leeds will open an exhibition entitled, "United Enemies". It aims to explore "the problem of sculpture in Britain in the 1960s and 1970s". The slogan emblazoned on the institute's facade resonates with the war memorial outside. One of the allegorical groups at its base features a sculpture of St George conquering the dragon. The saint and the serpent are "united enemies" – frozen forever in a brutal bronze embrace and "symbolical... of the everlasting struggle between good and evil."(1) But all is not as it seems. The Carrara marble obelisk, plinth and steps were executed by Carlo Domenico Magnoni (c.1871-1961). Henry Charles Fehr (1867-1940) was responsible for the bronze sculptures. The ensemble once stood in the City Square just outside the main railway station. Henry Lascelles, 6th Earl of Harewood unveiled it there in 1922.(2) Fifteen years later it was shifted to Victoria Gardens on The Headrow, where it still stands. Originally Fehr's "Winged Victory" hovered triumphantly over St George. This was removed in 1967. Since 1991 the more pacific "Angel of Peace" by Ian Jubb (born 1947) has surmounted the dragon slayer. This chimes with Fehr's allegory of "Peace" which, like St George, stands at the base of the obelisk.(3) So, whilst this memorial looks fixed and unchanging, appearances can be deceptive. The Leeds War Memorial does all it can to convince us that it speaks for everyone, forever - a truly public pronouncement. The patina of time adds to its nostalgic allure. But compare present-day attitudes with this newspaper article published in 1922: After something like three years of procrastination, mainly due to a lack of monetary support, the Leeds War Memorial has become an accomplished fact with the fixing of the date for the unveiling ceremony, which will be on October 14. The project has been attended by criticism and scarcely-veiled hostility since its inception. By the time Sir Reginald Blomfield's plans had been provisionally accepted by the War Memorial Committee most of the parishes and districts had their individual memorials, either erected or in hand. No doubt this was one of the reasons the subscription-list for the fund of £70,000 never reached £7,000; others lay in objections to the memorial design; in objections to the Cookridge Street site; in a contention more than once urged that a war memorial ought to afford benefit to the living disabled, for instance, rather than a memorialising of the dead; and also in the unemployment and distress then becoming acute.(4) The temporary carpet of poppies at the feet of St George; the metamorphosis from victory to peace; and a knowledge of the memorial's deeply contested origins remind us that objects are forever being "perceived and uttered in different ways".(5) A monument's meaning is not stable but is instead "in suspense... and... indeterminate". The Leeds memorial has at various points in its history attracted suffragists, pacifists, war veterans and fairtraders.(6) Its potential significance, it seems, is infinitely malleable. A commemorative memorial such as this is thus "tailored to the needs of the present... and especially the future". Those that gather at symbols of remembrance do so in an effort "to determine, delimit and define the always open meaning of the present." Objects are, in short, subject to all manner of "cognitive 'filling-in' strategies". One such "cognitive 'filling-in' strategy" is this very blog posting. I began writing it on the eve of my talk to delegates of the "Sculpture and Comic Art" conference taking place in the art gallery directly behind St George and his foe. My talk uses the ideas of Pierre Bourdieu to explore Estonia's Bronze Soldier. This Soviet-era war memorial is simultaneously interpreted as a symbol of liberation and occupation. Opposing camps have clashed at the foot of the statue in a futile effort "to determine, delimit and define the always open meaning of the present." In April 2007 a riot erupted on the streets of Tallinn when the authorities moved the monument from the city centre to a military cemetery. The Bronze Soldier obliged these "united enemies" to realise an uncomfortable truth, namely that objects are "perceived and uttered in different ways". If you're in any doubt about this, just ask the poor old "Winged Victory". After her removal from the Leeds war memorial she was, like Estonia's Bronze Soldier, moved to a burial place, namely Cottingley Crematorium. However, in 1988 the metal maiden was deemed to be in such a poor state of repair that she was melted down. The only part that escaped this authorised vandalism was the head. It is now in the collections of Leeds City Art Gallery. This decapitated angel of victory looks anything but victorious. What better example could there be of the indeterminacy of meaning and of an object's infinite capacity for being "perceived and uttered in different ways"? And who knows, perhaps one day St George will also be sent back to the furnace from whence he came? He and the dragon would cease to be "united enemies". The severed serpent might then be set free to embark on an exciting new life full of unanticipated meanings... ____ Notes (1) Unveiling of the War Memorial by the Right Hon. Viscount Lascelles K.G., D.S.O. Saturday, 14th October, 1922, at 3:30 (Leeds: Jowett & Sowry), p.2. (2) The Yorkshire Evening News felt it was "appropriate the Viscount Lascelles should perform the duty, as he [had] a distinguished war record and was thrice wounded while serving on the Western front." (6/10/1922). (3) Information about the monument is derived from interpretation panels in the sculpture galleries of Leeds City Art Gallery (15/11/2011). (4) "The Leeds War Memorial", The Yorkshire Observer, 6/10/1922. (5) This and all subsequent quotations are derived from Pierre Bourdieu's "The Social Space and the Genesis of Groups", Theory and Society, Vol. 14, No. 6, 1985, pp. 723-744 (p. 728). (6) See http://www.visitleeds.co.uk/thedms.aspx?dms=13&feature=1&venue=2193653. The sound of silence... Sevenoaks Cottage Hospital "Today We Remember Martin Luther King – Tomorrow We Don't" The quotation above doesn't come from some highbrow History book or academic article exploring collective memory. Instead it's from a newspaper. The New York Times, perhaps? Or the Sydney Herald? No, the actual source was The Springfield Shopper.(1) Homer Simpson's local paper is an odd place to study history. Yet this fleeting, one-line gag in The Simpsons is in fact a witty and perceptive appreciation of how societies remember and forget. The annals of past events are limitless. This gives rise to whole calendars of commemorations – like Martin Luther King Day. An event such as this is one of the mechanisms necessary to filter, rank and arrange the past; to make it manageable and to put it to use. To turn the past into History. Anniversaries help supply the present with their historical fix. No matter how insatiable we are, there is always a ready supply of past pleasures and pains for us to use and abuse. One anniversary leads to another and another in a bulimic spewing up of the past.(2) And by comparing multiple commemorations of the same event we get an insight into the ways in which the past is put into the service of the present.(3) Take today, for example. It is Armistice Day. Ninety-three years have passed since the end of the "Great War". This gives rise to the intoning of that familiar mantra: On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918, the guns fell silent and the First World War came to an end. Today on 11th November, we remember, in silence, all those who have given their lives in war in the cause of peace and freedom.(4) This moment is marked by repetition. The observing of silences; the laying of wreaths; the tolling of bells; the playing of music. These recurring performances have been re-enacted following a score set down by the Royal British Legion exactly 90 years ago. Such rituals are intended to interrupt the haphazard unfolding of day-to-day events by inserting a familiar pause – a link in time connecting our present with our past, secure in the knowledge that this will happen again in our future. This is how the chain of history is constructed. Shared memory is deployed to forge collectivities. Repetition and sameness are emphasised. But, if we look carefully, what they actually highlight is that which is different or new. Thus, whilst we are remembering past wars, we are also encouraged to reflect on current conflicts. Those that observe silences or gather around memorials in the UK are made aware that British soldiers in Afghanistan are doing just what their forebears did, namely giving "their lives in war in the cause of peace and freedom." Not everyone agrees with this, of course. Certain members of the now-illegal "Muslims Against Crusades" were planning a counter demonstration today. They too wished to observe this memorial occasion and its associated symbolism. Yet they would prefer to burn a plastic poppy rather than place it at the foot of an old war memorial. Such behaviour is distasteful and disrespectful – but should it be punishable by imprisonment? The potency of the poppy confirms the sense in which 'the flower has become an iconic symbol of remembrance and sacrifice.'(5) Its importance and that of the November ritual as a whole appears to be increasing rather than diminishing as the years go by. This explains the seemingly disproportionate amount of attention the media devotes to reports of a war memorial being vandalised or dishonoured. A steadily rising number of plaques listing the names of the dead have been stolen from such monuments. The high value of scrap metal makes an uncomfortable parallel with the high value of the sacrifice inscribed in each and every liquefied name. The heat required to melt these metal sheets is matched by the temperature rising in commemorative terms. This is due to the imminent arrival of the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War. Will 2014 represent a high-water mark of remembrance? We can't know the answer to this because we simply don't know what the future holds or what future generations will choose to remember and forget. So it seems fair to say that The Springfield Shopper headline got it right and wrong: "Today We Remember Armistice Day – Tomorrow We Don't". But the day after that we will: it's Remembrance Sunday. And the wreath-laying rituals will be repeated all over again – for some people at least. _____ Notes (1) 'The Springfield Shopper', The Simpsons 18/9 (2006). (2) Pierre Nora, Realms of Memory: The Construction of the French Past. Vol. III: Symbols, New York, Columbia University Press, 1998, p. 609. (3) Stuart Burch, 'The Texture of Heritage: A Reading of the 750th Anniversary of Stockholm', International Journal of Heritage Studies, Vol. 11 (3), 2005, pp. 211-233. (4) BBC Radio 4 News, 11:00, 11/11/2011. (5) Angus Crawford, The World at One, BBC Radio 4, 11/11/2011. __________ Supplemental 18/11/2011 One American citizen who does not observe Martin Luther King Day is George Orr, the principal protagonist in Ursula K. Le Guin's superb book, The Lathe of Heaven (1971). He is able to alter the world by having what he terms "effective" dreams (p.13). Orr's unconscious solution to racism is to dream into existence a globe populated solely by grey-skinned people. But in so doing he erases the woman he loves: Heather Lelache's "color of brown was an essential part of her, not an accident... She could not exist in the gray (sic) people's world. She had not been born." (p. 129) And that is not all: this is also now a world that "found in it no address that had been delivered on a battlefield in Gettysburg, nor any man known to history named Martin Luther King." (p. 129) All this might seem like "a small price to pay for the complete retroactive abolition of racial prejudice". But George Orr finds the situation "intolerable. That every soul on earth should have a body the color of a battleship: no!" (p. 129). Source: Le Guin, Ursula K. (1971/2001) The Lathe of Heaven (London: Orion) For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. 2 Corinthians 5 (New International Version) The quotation above is from Paul the Apostle's Second Epistle to the Corinthians. It currently has a special resonance given the makeshift anti-capitalist protest camp that has appeared outside St Paul's Cathedral in the City of London. The continuing presence of these tents has today led to the resignation of the dean of St Paul's, the Rt Rev Graeme Knowles. He stepped down from his post on the grounds that "criticism of the cathedral has mounted in the press, media and in public opinion" to such an extent that his position was "becoming untenable."(1) The dean's departure follows the resignation last week of the canon chancellor, Giles Fraser. Toby Young has argued that it was Fraser who prevented the Metropolitan Police from dispersing the "Occupy London" protesters who gathered outside the cathedral following their abortive attempt to target the London Stock Exchange. Young condemned Fraser for actions that had forced St Paul’s cathedral "to shut its doors to the public, resulting in losses of £20,000 a day."(2) Whether accurate or not, Young's reference to lost income underlines the fact that St Paul's Cathedral is a heritage enterprise. Should you happen to be a doubting Thomas when it comes to the heritagisation of the cathedral, then I suggest you pay a visit to its online shop (3). In happier circumstances, visitors to the cathedral are able to hire a touchscreen multimedia device before climbing the dome or exploring the crypt. They can then "travel back in time in an immersive film experience" before quenching their thirst with a nice cup of tea. After all, "[t]here's probably nothing more uniquely British than afternoon tea" (to quote "The Restaurant at St Paul’s", which inevitably has its own dedicated website).(4). All this comes at a cost, of course. A six year old child would need to find £5.50 to enter this house of God (this includes the multimedia guide but not a cup of tea). Adults have to part with £14.50.(5) Those with a little less cash might decide to visit the National Gallery where they can genuflect for free in front of all manner of altar panels ripped from various churches. Alternatively, frustrated visitors to St Paul's might seek shelter in the tents clustered around its grand entrance. They'd probably be more likely to learn about the teaching of Christ in a protest camp than at the ticket desk of the cathedral. The church authorities should consider downloading and digesting the words of the Rev Billy. In so doing they will be "delighted to discover the difference" between "consumerism" and "freedom". Because those protesters who "disturb the customers" from shopping at St Paul's Cathedral just might be loving their neighbour. After all, these "ordinary citizen[s]" holding onto that "patch of public commons... are the New World." (6) And that New World is taking shape at the gates to St Paul's Cathedral, much to the Church of England's annoyance. The cash tills of St Paul’s Cathedral are silent. Only once each and every "earthly tent" is cleared away will they be able to open their coffers once more. Hallelujah for the Church of England! ____ Notes (1) "Dean of St Paul’s Cathedral announces intention to resign", 31/10/2011, accessed 31/10/2011 at, http://www.stpauls.co.uk/News-Press/Latest-News/Dean-of-St-Pauls-Cathedral-announces-intention-to-resign-31-October-2011. (2) Toby Young, "Canon Giles Fraser resigns from St Paul's Cathedral on Twitter, having single-handedly cost the Cathedral hundreds of thousands in lost revenue", 27/10/2011, accessed 31/10/2011 at, http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/tobyyoung/100113964/canon-giles-fraser-resigns-from-st-pauls-cathedral-on-twitter-having-single-handedly-cost-the-cathedral-hundreds-of-thousands-in-lost-revenue/ (3) Shop at St Paul's Cathedral, http://www.stpaulsshop.org.uk. (4) The Restaurant at St Paul's, http://www.restaurantatstpauls.co.uk/afternoon-tea. (5) "Sightseeing Times & Prices", accessed 31/10/2011 at, http://www.stpauls.co.uk/Visits-Events/Sightseeing-Times-Prices. (6) Talen, Bill (2008) "Beatitudes of Buylessness", The Shopocalypse, stopshopping music (see my "Life without products" posting, 23/08/2011). In the summer of last year archaeologists revealed the discovery of a new Neolithic henge. This word – henge – has become used "to describe any circular ritual site in Britain dating from the late Neolithic or copper age (3,000 - 2,000BC)" (Pitts 2010). The most recently unearthed example is not far from what is perhaps the world's most famous henge: Stonehenge in Wiltshire. These "circular monuments" were places of great ceremonial and ritual significance that raise far more questions than answers (BBC 2010). Perhaps future generations will be just as puzzled and intrigued by a modern-day "circular monument"? This was a phrase used by BBC journalist Mark Easton when reporting on the M25 – the orbital motorway that rings the British capital. He described it as "a circular monument to the urgent, constant and apparently endless nature of 24/7 metropolitan living" (Easton 2011). Easton's words came to mind late last night as I arched my way around the M25. My drive took place on the eve of the road's twenty-fifth anniversary. For on this day exactly a quarter of a century ago the then British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher inaugurated this contemporary henge. She remarked in characteristic fashion: Now some people are saying that the road is too small, even that it's a disaster. I must say I can't stand those who carp and criticise when they ought to be congratulating Britain on a magnificent achievement and beating the drum for Britain all over the world (Thatcher 1986). Motorists were indeed worshipping in such "enormous amounts" that, even as she declared the road complete, Mrs Thatcher announced plans to enlarge it. Included in this expansion was "the construction of a new bridge at Dartford" (Thatcher 1986). This gave my late night pilgrimage around London and over the River Thames a doubly commemorative significance. Because tomorrow the Dartford Crossing will mark its twentieth anniversary: on 30th October 1991, the British monarch cut the ribbon on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge. Planes, trains and automobiles are utilitarian objects. Yet even a simple journey in an aeroplane can take place in a flying memorial. So, whilst motorways and bridges are functional things, they also have great heritage potential. And who knows, perhaps this heritagisation will come full circle? Archaeologists thousands of years from now might uncover a huge 117-mile henge running around what appears to have been the site of a great metropolis. Was this a ritual site? A circular monument to some lost religion? If so, what sort of people came to worship there? In short, they will ask, how significant is the 'new henge'? (cf. Pitts 2010). _________ References BBC (2010) "Archaeologists unearth Neolithic henge at Stonehenge", BBC News, 22/07, accessed 29/10/2011 at, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-10718522 Easton, Mark (2011) "Happy birthday M25", BBC News, 28/10, accessed 29/10/2011 at, http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_9626000/9626188.stm Pitts, Mike (2010) "How significant is the 'new henge'?", BBC News, 22/07, accessed 29/10/2011 at, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-10726307 Thatcher, Margaret (1986) "Speech opening final section of M25", 29/10, accessed 29/10/2011 at, http://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/106506 __________ Supplemental 01/11/2011 Some unfortunate motorists have today had the opportunity to admire Britain's "magnificent achievement" for rather longer than anticipated. An accident early this morning has led to queues stretching for an estimated 19 miles... In July I posted a comment about the exhibition Art for the Nation: Sir Charles Eastlake at the National Gallery (Burch 2011a). I have since had a chance to visit the museum and am now in a position to develop some of the ideas mentioned in my early blog posting. Although the show in question fills only one small room, the ethical issues it raises are momentous. However, as with the concurrent exhibition Devotion by Design: Italian Altarpieces before 1500, the museum authorities have ensured that any contentious matters are only mentioned in the associated publication and not in the gallery (cf. Burch 2011b). The focus of the curators' acclaim rests instead on Eastlake as a pioneer whose influence is still felt to this day: "His professional approach to the study and management of the Gallery's collection was ground-breaking and set an example that has been followed ever since."(1) This is undoubtedly true in terms of the museum's collections. But can the same be said when it comes to its attitudes towards visitors? "The pictures were Eastlake's first priority in everything he did at the National Gallery. As a result the desire to accommodate visitors and their needs had second place and definite limits" (Avery-Quash & Sheldon 2011: 174). This, alas, seems to tally with the curatorial treatment of Eastlake. The "modest, scholarly and determined man" that emerges from the exhibition contrasts with the "wily" operator in Avery-Quash and Sheldon's associated biography (2011: 155). Yet even they are careful to avoid any real criticism. They note that Eastlake had collected privately since 1812, but conclude that: "It was probably the case that Eastlake limited his own purchases to paintings which he considered ineligible for the Gallery on grounds of size, state of preservation, or status of the artist in question. Such an honourable demarcation would have been characteristic of the man" (Avery-Quash & Sheldon 2011: 162). This entirely positive stance allows the authors to bypass any awkward questions. Take, for example, Pollaiuolo's The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian (1475, oil on poplar, 291.5 x 202.6 cm, inventory no. NG292). Eastlake's contemporary, John Morris Moore (1812-85) argued that the methods used to acquire it had violated Tuscan law. Avery-Quash and Sheldon mention this claim and Moore's belief that it has been "smuggled out, using bribery and corruption" before adding: "Moore's aspersions did not have any lasting consequence" (Avery-Quash & Sheldon 2011: 177). But were the accusations true? Art for the Nation: Sir Charles Eastlake at the National Gallery was a missed opportunity to provide some much-needed historical context to one of the most pressing issues facing museums today: the question of deaccessioning. Changes to the Code of Ethics for Museums now allow for "financially motivated disposal in exceptional circumstances" (2). This, not surprisingly, has given rise to many complex, ethical arguments. There is an urgent need for an informed debate that draws on past practice. A case in point concerns the National Gallery's decision in 1857 to sell thirty-seven paintings from the former Krüger collection. Avery-Quash and Sheldon (2011: 160) remark that "[t]his act is considered unfortunate today, given that important works from this history of German art were irreparably broken up." Why was this affair ignored in the Eastlake exhibition? And why was there no mention of the 1856 "Act to extend the Powers of the Trustees and Director of the National Gallery, and to authorize the Sale of Works of Art belonging to the Public"? This legislation was enacted in response to sellers who only agreed to part with an entire collection of artworks rather than just the specific painting that Eastlake was so eager to acquire. Hence the National Gallery's decision to sell works at Christie's auction house on 14 February 1857. How many current museum professionals are aware of this precedent? One positive thing about the Eastlake exhibition is that it does occasionally touch upon that most un-museum of subjects: money. We learn, for instance, that Eastlake's most expensive acquisition was the £13,650 spent on Paolo Veronese's The Family of Darius before Alexander (1565-7, oil on canvas, 236.2 x 474.9 cm, inventory no. NG294). Of course, the museum does not see fit to include this figure among the "key facts" about the painting (3). And, whilst visitors to the Eastlake exhibition are given the National Gallery's acquisition budget for 1855 (£10,000), they are not told what the figure is today. Why were the two sums not set side-by-side, thus enabling visitors to compare today's situation with that of 156 years ago? The answer is because, then as now, "visitors and their needs" take "second place" within very "definite limits". Sir Charles Eastlake can therefore rest easy: his legacy at the National Gallery is indeed secure. ____ Notes (1) Cited from the interpretation panel "Eastlake's legacy at the National Gallery". (2) See "Sale of collections", accessed 09/10/2011 at, http://www.museumsassociation.org/collections/sale-of-collections. (3) "Key facts", accessed 09/10/2011 at, http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/paolo-veronese-the-family-of-darius-before-alexander/*/key-facts. _________ References Avery-Quash, Susanna & Julie Sheldon (2011) Art for the Nation: The Eastlakes and the Victorian Art World (London: National Gallery Company) Burch, Stuart (2011a) "Museum ethics – then and now", 24/07, accessed 09/10/2011 at, http://www.stuartburch.com/1/post/2011/07/museum-ethics-then-and-now.html Burch, Stuart (2011b) "Deception by Design", 17/09, accessed 09/10/2011 at, http://www.stuartburch.com/1/post/2011/09/deception-by-design.html A Liberty Bell lover (19/03/2008) Our museums and history books are full of emblems of struggle. Take the Liberty Bell, for example. It is not a terribly attractive thing. And it is poorly manufactured too. A large crack has long rendered it useless as a functioning object. Yet this does not stop millions of people taking the pilgrimage to Philadelphia to see it. Thanks to its spurious connections with the Declaration of Independence of 1776, this faulty relic has become "one of the most prominent and widely recognized symbols of America" (Callahan 1999: 57). As the ultimate sign of struggle it merits preservation as a cherished icon of national heritage. In the light of such a precedent, one might have thought that another "emblem of... struggle" would deserve similar protection, even if it "holds no special architectural or historic interest". The artefact in question is a steel, wood and rubber gateway leading to Dale Farm near Basildon in the English county of Essex. It has been constructed by travellers who have lived on the site for many years. Their presence has led to a long-running legal battle. Now, with the prospect of being forcibly evicted, the travellers' leaders approached English Heritage and asked them to grant listed status to the gateway leading to their homes. This portal has become both a protective barrier and a backdrop for protest banners advertising their cause. As such it has become an "emblem of a struggle for traveller rights" (cited in BBC 2011). The travellers' application was nevertheless rejected by the current Heritage Minister, John Penrose. After taking advice from English Heritage, he concluded: "Although clearly a structure which is significant for the travellers at Dale Farm, the tubular steel, wood and rubber construction holds no special architectural or historic interest and does not therefore meet the criteria for listing" (cited in Milne 2011). The traveller community lacks the wherewithal to turn "their heritage" into "national heritage". Because be in no doubt: heritage is never truly universal. The National Trust might now have four million members, but its definition of heritage is no more national than it is natural or neutral. This can be illustrated by the case of Birmingham Central Library. How many card-carrying National Trust members believe that John Madin's "raw concrete" Brutalist building from 1974 constitutes "heritage"? John Penrose's predecessor in government certainly didn't think so. In 2009, Margaret Hodge - the then Minister for Culture and Tourism - went against the advice of English Heritage by rejecting a bid that would have seen it listed (Waite 2009). It is therefore at just as high a risk of demolition as Dale Farm's gateway. Neither are heritage. Why? Because the likes of Penrose and Hodge say so. The residents of Dale Farm are unlikely to attract many architectural historians to their cause. Birmingham Central Library fares rather better. It has drawn the support of the World Monuments Fund (WMF). The library, together with Preston bus station (Ingham, Wilson & Stazicker, 1968-9), has been included on WMF's "mounments at risk" list under the mantra "British Brutalism" (WMF 2012). These two secular icons have some unlikely sacred bedfellows in the shape of Newstead Abbey in Nottinghamshire; the ruins of the former cathedral church of St Michael in Coventry; and Quarr Abbey on the Isle of Wight. What will future generations say if the Dale Farm gateway and British Brutalism are destroyed? The brutal truth is that no one knows (Williams 2008: 7). We should instead focus on the here-and-now. If a cracked old bell can attract millions of worshippers, then there is absolutely nothing to stop any old bit of concrete or steel becoming heritage. The trick is to convince enough people of something's worth - and then transform that minority interest into "our" heritage: a precious resource that simply must be protected in perpetuity. This isn't some innocent pastime: "preservation is an act of making future generations understand what we want them to know about the past" (Williams 2008: 7). Thus to refuse to safeguard something by denying it the status of "heritage" is to attempt a double erasure: firstly from the landscape of the present and, secondly, from the annals of future history. _________ References BBC (2011) "Dale Farm gateway listing bid rejected", BBC News, 28/09, accessed 07/10/2011 at, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-15087217 Callahan, Robey (1999) "The Liberty Bell: From Commodity to Sacred Object", Journal of Material Culture, Vol. 4, Iss. 1, pp. 57-78 Milne, Roger (2011) "Dale Farm listing bid fails", Planning Portal, 29/09, accessed 07/10/2011 at, http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/general/news/stories/2011/sep11/290911/290911_3 Waite, Richard (2009) "Hodge refuses to list Birmingham Central Library", The Architects' Journal, 23/11, accessed 07/10/2011 at, http://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/news/daily-news/hodge-refuses-to-list-birmingham-central-library/5211195.article Williams, Paul (2008) "Going Critical: On the Historic Preservation of the World's First Nuclear Reactor", Future Anterior, Vol. 5, Iss. 2, pp. 1-18 WMF (2012) "2012 World Monuments Watch", accessed 07/10/2011 at, http://cdn.wmf.org/downloads/2012-Watch-List.pdf ___________ Supplemental 19/10/2011 The clearing of Dale Farm began today. This prompts further reflection on the decision not to list the barriers around the site. English Heritage couched its response as follows: The barricades at Dale Farm do not begin to have the high architectural interest essential to meet the criteria for listing on architectural grounds. In historic terms, the current case is just too recent for historic importance to be a relevant factor.(1) Aesthetics and temporal factors are thus decisive. Is this always the case? Well, consider the twisted, disfigured steel rods jutting out from the ruins of the World Trade Center on 11th September 2001. Were they of "high architectural interest"? Did judgement have to be deferred to some future date before society could ascertain their "historic importance"? Of course not. Whatever one's view on the legality of the Dale Farm settlement, don't be fooled by English Heritage's confident dismissal. The gateway to the site did have heritage potential. Only time will tell if future generations will mourn its loss... ____ Note (1) English Heritage (2011) "Dale Farm - Application to list the scaffolding gateway", 29/09, accessed 19/10/2011 at, http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/about/news/dale-farm/ Next year will mark the fortieth anniversary of John Berger's Ways of Seeing. In it he memorably comments on "the disingenuousness that bedevils the subject of art history" (Berger 1972: 102). He also refers to "mystification" - "the process of explaining away what might otherwise be evident" (8-9). That Ways of Seeing is still well worth reading ought to be evident to all recent visitors to London's Serpentine Gallery. Its current exhibition - which ends today - is devoted to the Italian artist, Michelangelo Pistoletto (born 1933). He has filled the gallery with coils of twisting cardboard to create a labyrinth. Dotted around are various symbolic artefacts intended to represent the world's four major religions. This site-specific installation is called The Mirror of Judgement. Visitors, as the title suggests, encounter themselves reflected in large mirrors placed at various junctures. These link back to Pistoletto's Mirror Paintings of the 1960s, a fact mentioned in the introductory interpretation panel: The Mirror Paintings... reflect their surroundings and the viewer as a part of the image, linking art and life in an ever-changing spectacle... After moving through the maze, visitors encounter a number of mirrors and are invited, quite literally, to reflect on themselves and society. For the artist, art should inspire and produce social change, both on an individual and collective level. Pistoletto describes this engagement as "a winding and unforeseeable road that leads us to the place of revelation, of knowledge." This sense of transformation and enlightenment is brought to an ecstatic crescendo in the accompanying catalogue, which ends with a statement by Pistoletto: The future for me is not about the possession of the world, but about making love with the world - it's our partner. But if we make love with the world, we have to love humanity. If you love humanity, you love yourself (cited in O'Brien 2011: 23). There are many words to describe this sort of artspeak rhetoric, some more polite than others. It is a variation on the theme of Berger's mystification. It is also deeply disingenuous. This is demonstrated by one of the artefacts included in Pistoletto's installation. Christianity is represented by a prie-dieu or "kneeler"(1). On it is a metal plaque that reads: TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN LOVING MEMORY OF GEORGE SMITH. FOR 50 YEARS A WORKER IN THIS CHURCH, BORN 1842. DIED 1915. "MY GOD SHALL SUPPLY ALL YOUR NEED." The inclusion of this item is part of Pistoletto's call for art "to produce new symbols, or to change old symbols into new ones" (cited in O'Brien 2011: 22). The prie-dieu made me reflect on myself and society - just as Pistoletto intended. In the hope of reaching "the place of revelation, of knowledge" I asked a gallery invigilator about George Smith and the church at which he had worked for half a century. She had no idea. Nor did the chap at the information desk. He went upstairs to consult the curator and when he came back he informed me that the prie-dieu had been bought at an antiques auction. Nothing else was known about it. He added helpfully that one thing, however, was certain: George Smith was of no significance to Michelangelo Pistoletto. It was at that moment that the scales of mystification fell from my eyes. "Democracy", says Pistoletto, "is horizontal, it isn't a pyramid" (cited in O'Brien 2011: 21). If this is the case, why doesn't anyone care about George Smith (1842-1915)? Pistoletto and the Serpentine Gallery claim that "art should inspire and produce social change". Unfortunately for them, The Mirror of Judgement has exposed both its creator and its host. They preside over a smoke and mirrors act shot through with mystification. One newspaper critic was duped into taking Pistoletto's "richly symbolic spiritual journey". But something troubled him: "why must [Pistoletto] be so maddeningly obscure?" (Hudson 2011) The answer is because, without the obscurity and the mystification, there would be nothing left except for strips of cardboard and bits of old junk ripped from a forgotten church. Pistoletto talks about "making love with the world". Perhaps he's right. I certainly felt screwed by my Serpentine experience. ___ Note (1) "prie-dieu, n. A piece of furniture for the use of a person at prayer, consisting of a kneeler with a narrow upright front surmounted by a ledge for books or for resting the elbows" (OED 1908/2011). _________ References Berger, John (1972) Ways of Seeing, BBC & Penguin (2008 edition) Hudson, Mark (2001) "Michelangelo Pistoletto: The Mirror of Judgement, Serpentine Gallery, review", The Telegraph, 11/07, accessed 17/09/2011 at, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/art/art-reviews/8630864/Michelangelo-Pistoletto-The-Mirror-of-Judgement-Serpentine-Gallery-review.html O'Brien, Sophie et al (ed.) (2011) Michelangelo Pistoletto: The Mirror of Judgement, Serpentine Gallery, Koenig Books OED (1908/2007) "prie-dieu, n.", Oxford English Dictionary, 3rd ed., accessed 17/09/2011 at http://oed.com/view/Entry/151198 __________ Supplemental 25/12/2011 John Berger's Ways of Seeing is now available (in black and white) via UbuWeb. See: http://www.ubu.com/film/berger_seeing.html We live in interesting times. Instability and protest in the present are complemented by unease and uncertainty about the future. Such conditions provide the perfect breeding ground for nostalgia: a yearning for familiarity and a longing for the past. Our lives unfold in the post 9/11 era. We are forever told that the tragic events of a decade ago changed the world. The origins of our troubles are rooted in that historical moment. How much more tranquil, peaceful and certain things must have been prior to the autumn of 2001. This blog posting, ten years to the day since 9/11 is a modest attempt to challenge this pervasive myth. It seeks to memorialise the victims of terrorism, and to prompt us to remember that wars on terror and wars of terror began long, long before the destruction of the World Trade Center. At the same time as these two towers came tumbling down, another was in the process of being constructed. This is the so-called "Gherkin" in the City of London. Norman Foster's iconic silhouette on the skyline of Britain's capital is only where it is thanks to an act of creative iconoclasm. For at 9:20pm on Friday 10th April 1992 the Irish Republican Army (IRA) detonated a bomb on St. Mary Axe, just outside the Baltic Exchange. This Grade II*, early 20th century building was so badly damaged that it was removed - thus allowing Foster's skyscraper to take its place. Of far greater significance to this loss of architectural heritage was the loss of three innocent lives. They were Paul Butt, aged 29 and a securities dealer; Thomas Casey, a 49-year-old doorman at the Baltic Exchange; and Danielle Carter, a 15-year-old schoolgirl. Their names appear on a wall at the foot of the skyscraper. The memorial stone reads: In memory of Paul Butt Danielle Carter Tom Casey who died on 10 April 1992 The inscription thus forgets far more than it remembers. How many of the passers-by who notice this bland statement of facts are able to decipher its meaning? We are told that three people died - but not where, how or with what consequences. The bloody background to the weirdly shaped building towering overhead remains unspoken and ignored. Terrorism exploded on the mainland of the United States exactly ten years ago. And the world changed. But we should not allow the tenth anniversary to inspire nostalgia for the lost innocence of our pre-9/11 world. Each time we glance up at the "Gherkin" we should remember the bomb that brought death and terror to the streets of London all those years ago. And we would do well to reflect on the fact that one of the ambulance workers who arrived at the scene of the Baltic Exchange bombing never recovered from his experience. He shot his girlfriend five months later and tried to commit suicide. He is now in a secure psychiatric unit (Burch 2008: 470, note 6). So, yes, the world probably did change on 11th September 2001 - just not that much, unfortunately. ________ Reference Burch, Stuart (2008) "An Unfolding Signifier: London's Baltic Exchange in Tallinn", Journal of Baltic Studies, Vol. 39 (4), pp. 451-473 Our urban landscapes are saturated with symbolic meaning to such an extent that even a humdrum pedestrian crossing can become a significant place marker. This is the way with all street furniture. Yet their banal presence and utilitarian function effectively masks their potential meaningfulness. This is arguably the case with the subject of this blog posting: a bus-stop in the unremarkable town of Royal Tunbridge Wells in the south east of England. Hovering over the waiting passengers is a bronze bayoneted rifle held in the iron grip of a soldier statue. This is the work of the sculptor, Stanley Nicholson Babb FRBS (c.1873-1957) and dates from 1922. It forms the centrepiece of a memorial to the First and Second World Wars. It in turn provides a name and a geographical anchor for the bus-stops that traverse the street in front. They are: War Memorial. Questions Do many travellers reflect on this fact or cast an eye up to the ever-present soldier? Of those that do, how many look at the panels listing the dead? As they read the names, do they concur with the sentiments inscribed beneath the bronze feet of the statue: OUR GLORIOUS DEAD? This token of death seeps into the hurly-burly of the living. Those that fought and died so many years ago still exist, but they have taken on new forms: metamorphosed into stone and bronze; transfigured into bus-stops; inscribed into bus timetables. ___________
Supplemental I have since discovered that, following a recommendation from English Heritage, the memorial has been granted Grade II listed status (BBC 2011). This should afford it some protection - something that might be necessary if plans go ahead to redevelop the civic centre complex (Pudelek 2011). BBC (2011) "Tunbridge Wells war memorial given listed status", BBC News, 16/07, accessed 08/09/2011 at, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-14173615 Pudelek, Jenna (2011) "Tunbridge Wells War Memorial achieves listed status", KOS Media, 16/07, accessed 08/09/2011 at, http://www.kentnews.co.uk/news/tunbridge_wells_war_memorial_achieves_listed_status_1_970474 The wing-tip of the aircraft blazes in the dying light of the setting sun. Night is falling. The day is drawing to a close and with it my time in Scandinavia. In an effort to repress this deeply depressing thought I reached for the in-flight magazine. Only then did I realize that I was racing through the skies in a flying memorial. This was not an intuition that the plane was going to crash. It was instead based on an article entitled, "Norwegian's tail icons" (Blågestad 2011). The low-cost airline, Norwegian has opted to dedicate each of its aircraft to "famous Scandinavians". Their faces appear on the empennage (i.e. the fin or tail of an aeroplane). The list includes Roald Amundsen (1872-1928) – a memorial to whom has featured in an earlier blog posting. His entry in the in-flight magazine notes that he was "one of the greatest polar explorers of all time. The Norwegian explorer was the first person to reach both the North and South Poles" (Blågestad 2011: 110). One person missing from this roll call of famous Scandinavians is Dénis Lindbohm (1927-2005). You've probably never heard of this Swedish science fiction writer. But he features in my own personal canon of famous Scandinavians. Lindbohm would be a doubly-appropriate candidate for a flying memorial given that he wrote Bevingaren (The Wing-Giver). It tells the tale of John. One day whilst out walking in the forest he comes across what looks like a crater left by a falling meteorite. Closer inspection reveals it to be filled with pristine, ice-cold water. Stooping down he drinks from this unearthly spring – and soon realises this fissure was formed by no shooting star. It was caused by a crash-landing spaceship. The watery remains of its unfortunate pilot enter into symbiosis with John. It teaches him things that will change not only John's life but that of everyone on the planet. For this parasitic extraterrestrial is, quite literally, The Wing-Giver. John becomes the first of a new species of para-humans. He hides this fact until the day comes when he climbs to the top of a mountain, unfolds his wings, leans ever further over the edge... "Then gave out a sudden cry, an exultant and almost wild laugh, and flung himself forwards, upwards, straight into the wind, beating down with his wings. And flew. "The ground fell away as he ascended like an express elevator... He climbed like a kite in the wind. The treetops and then the whole landscape disappeared beneath. He couldn't stop laughing in furious jubilation. He literally threw himself upwards into the blue, blue atmosphere" (Lindbohm 1980: 44). _________ References Blågestad, Nina (2011) "Norwegian's tail icons", Norwegian in-flight magazine, no. 4, pp. 108-111 Lindbohm, Dénis (1980) Bevingaren, Vänersborg _________ Supplemental, 02/09/2011 A flying memorial of a different and far more tragic kind took place today. The Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team - more familiarly known as "the Red Arrows" - conducted a ceremonial flypast in the skies over Chatsworth House Country Fair in Derbyshire and at a RAF Linton-on-Ouse in North Yorkshire. Both events were dedicated to the memory of Flight Lieutenant Jon Egging. He suffered fatal injuries when his aeroplane crashed during a public event that took place near Bournemouth Airport on 20th August. _________ Supplemental, 23/09/2011 The BBC reports that Flt Lt Jon Egging is to be honoured with a permanent memorial located near the scene of his fatal accident. See Anon (2011) "A Red Arrows pilot Jon Egging memorial for Bournemouth", BBC News, 22/09 accessed 23/09/2011 at, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-15012137. The Peace Monument, Karlstad (23/09/2005) The Guardian newspaper has published a selection of the "UK's best sculptures of women". Its compiler, Laura Barton, enthuses that the "UK is alive with beautiful sculptures of women" (Barton 2011). Alas, her sweet selection of lovely ladies confirms observations made years ago by the likes of Janet Monk (1992) and Marina Warner (1987). They point out that our streets and squares are swamped with statues of men but hardly any women. Yes, the latter do appear, but almost always as abstract, moralising symbols which, according to Marina Warner, "hardly ever interact with real, individual women" (Warner 1987: 28). With this in mind, Barton ought to have sought out real women who have distinguished themselves by their beautiful achievements rather than their beautiful breasts. Candidates might include the Emmeline Pankhurst memorial near the Houses of Parliament (Arthur George Walker, 1930). Or how about Mark Quinn's Alison Lapper Pregnant that once graced Trafalgar Square's "Fourth plinth" (Burch 2009)? One positive outcome of The Guardian's bevy of beauties is the reactions of some online readers. They have used the list to promote statues of "missing" women. A case in point is crittero, who laments the lack of a public monument to Mary Wollstonecraft "'founder' of women's movement". Meanwhile, MissB1983 has provided a link to a very interesting article concerning "Women's erasure from women's memorials" (Dougherty 2011). _________ References Barton, Laura (2011) "Female forms", The Guardian, 25/08, accessed 27/08/2011 at, http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/aug/25/female-uk-sculptures-women Burch, Stuart (2009) "Trafalgar Square: a public lecture", 09/08, talk given on Trafalgar Square's "fourth plinth" as part of Antony Gormley's One & Other (6th July - 14th October 2009). Transcript of talk. Dougherty, Carolyn (2011) "Women's erasure from women's memorials", 16/06, the f word, accessed 27/08/2011 at, http://www.thefword.org.uk/features/2011/06/womens_erasure_monuments Monk, Janice (1992) "Gender in the landscape: expressions of power and meaning", in Kay Anderson and Fay Gale (eds.), Inventing Places: Studies in Cultural Geography, Melbourne, Longman Cheshire, 1992, pp. 123-138 Warner, Marina (1987) Monuments and Maidens. The Allegory of the Female Form, London, Pan Books State Museum, Majdanek near Lublin, 13/11/2008 Tourism takes many forms. One variety goes by such names as dark, disaster or grief tourism. In addition, "Thanatos" - the Greek word for death - has given rise to the concept of thanatourism (Seaton 1996). This has led to an extensive itinerary of "fatal attractions" (Rojek 1999) for "tombstone tourists" to visit (see e.g. Stanton 2003). The motivations for taking such journeys vary. Travelling to a site of genocide is, for many, a pilgrimage - part of a duty of remembrance and a hope that we might learn from the past to avoid making the same mistakes in the present. Others, however, visit places of death for reasons that are far more prurient. Some people gain positive pleasure and excited curiosity from the pain and suffering of others. Steps therefore need to be taken to discourage this from happening: to prevent "black spots" (Rojek 1999) of the wrong sort from appearing on the tourist map (1). This explains the decision by Gloucester City Council to purchase a house - and immediately demolish it. The property in question - 25 Cromwell Street - was once the home of Frederick and Rosemary West. They killed women and girls there and hid the bodies around the house and in the garden. The local council saw to it that everything connected with this place of murder was ground to dust. The site was then covered in concrete. These steps were taken in order to stop the relics becoming grisly commodities to be bought and sold by collectors of the macabre (Moyes 1996). I was reminded of this after reading that the cellar of Josef Fritzl's house is to be pumped with concrete. This should ensure that the place where his daughter was imprisoned can never again be entered. It seems, however, that no decision has been reached regarding the house, which still stands in the Lower Austrian town of Amstetten (AP 2011). The decision to entomb the Fritzls' cellar might not prevent it from being reopened in the future. Years from now public attitudes could allow it to be carefully restored and made accessible to curious tourists. There is a precedent for this, albeit one that has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with dark tourism: Eidsvoll is a famous tourist attraction in Norway due to its connection with the drawing up of the Norwegian constitution in 1814. In the latter part of the 19th century the cellar of the building was destroyed. It is now being restored ("recreated" might be a better word) in time for the bicentenary of 2014. Some have condemned this decision, arguing that the construction of a "fake" cellar will turn Eidsvoll into "democracy's Disneyland" (Engen 2011). Norway, of course, is currently trying to come to terms with the terrorist attacks of 22 July that left 77 people dead. The sites of these killings plus all manner of places associated with the terrorist responsible provide fertile ground for dark tourism. For a final reflection on some of these issues, let's mentally return to Fritzl's cellar. The decision to fill it with concrete is counterproductive. Its transformation has turned it in to an artwork akin to Rachel Whiteread's House (1993). This now-demolished project centred on 193 Grove Road, a regular end-of-terrace Victorian-era house in the East London borough of Tower Hamlets. Whiteread filled the interior with flowcrete. The bricks and roof were then painstakingly removed to reveal the uncanny inside-out home. Even closer to the Fritzl "readymade" is Harald Persson's Nedgrävning (Burial). This was the name given to an art project carried out in November 1994. The Swedish artist dug a hole in Picasso Park in Halmstad and buried a white, one metre cubed block of concrete. This event was largely forgotten, until a couple of years ago when it was included in an art guide to the town. Tourists can now visit the site... and see nothing at all. This is probably exactly what happens at the now-vanished 25 Cromwell Street in Gloucester and the sealed-up cellar of the Fritzl house in Amstetten. _________ (1) This raises some vexing questions. Is it possible to distinguish between "good" and "bad" dark tourism? What is the "wrong" sort of dark tourist or the "wrong" sort of "black spot"? Or is appropriateness determined by the motivations of the visitor and the nature of the interpretation? If so, can anything become a visitor attraction? _________ References AP (2011) "Josef Fritzl basement to be filled with concrete", Associated Press, 12/08, accessed 26/08/2011 at, http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/aug/12/fritzl-basement-filled-concrete Engen, Øyvind Bosnes (2011) "Falsk historie om 1814", Romerikes Blad, 18/05, accessed 26/08/2011 at, http://www.rb.no/lokal_kultur/article5611181.ece Lingwood, James (ed.) (1995) House, London: Phaidon Moyes, Jojo (1996) "Fred West house to be demolished", Independent, 05/10, accessed 26/08/2011 at, http://www.independent.co.uk/news/fred-west-house-to-be-demolished-1356745.html Persson, Harald (1994/2011) Nedgrävning. Fotografisk documentation (photographs by Joacim Bengtsson), Stockholm Rojek, Chris (1999) "Fatal Attractions" in Boswell, D. and Evans, J. (eds.) Representing the Nation: Histories, Heritage and Museums, London: Routledge, pp. 185-207 Seaton, A.V. (1996) "Guided by the dark: from thanatopsis to thanatourism", International Journal of Heritage Studies, Vol. 2, No. 4, pp. 234-244 Stanton Scott (2003) The Tombstone Tourist: Musicians, New York: Pocket Books Question: What would be the most appropriate way to signal the end of a 42-year dictatorship? Answer: By targeting those symbols most closely associated with the regime. This is exactly what has occurred in Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's compound in the Libyan capital, Tripoli. Its walls have been breached and its defences overrun. And the dictator's decapitated head lolls beneath the feet of jubilant rebel fighters. But this is not the real thing. It's a golden substitute, hacked from the body of an idolatrous statue. Once the symbol of a despot's supremacy, this obscene portrait is now a simple full stop: the final, clinching proof that the tyrant's rule is over. ___________
Supplemental 20/10/2011 Events have now reached their inevitable, bloody conclusion. Colonel Gaddafi never did face justice - just the butts of rifles and the barrel of the gun that appears to have ended his life. Yet "[k]illing him is not enough", insists Alaa al-Ameri writing in the Guardian: We have to forget him. To do that we have to expunge his influence from every aspect of our lives. Only then can we be free of him.(1) The idea of Gaddafi being utterly erased seems remote, not least given the grisly appeal of death and disaster tourism.(2) And would it be sensible to totally forget this monster? Surely the best way of safeguarding against some future Gaddafi would be to remember the terror and despair that he brought both to the people of Libya and to the citizens of other countries, not least the United Kingdom and the United States. Moreover, we would be wise to remember the cancerous influence he exerted on foreign powers - as exemplified by the actions of the former British premier, Tony Blair.(3) The people of Libya can be forgiven for wishing to forget Gaddafi. But the people of Britain would do well to keep him in mind. ____ Notes (1) al-Ameri, Alaa (2011) "Gaddafi is dead. We must now forget him", The Guardian, 20/10, accessed 20/10/2011 at, http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/oct/20/gaddafi-dead-libya (2) See my blog posting, "Sites of sickening sights", 26/08/2011. (3) Brady, Brian (2011) "Evidence grows of Blair's links with Gaddafi", The Independent, 18/09, accessed 20/10/2011 at, http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/evidence-grows-of-blairs-links-with-gaddafi-2356576.html. |
Para, jämsides med.
En annan sort. Dénis Lindbohm, Bevingaren, 1980: 90 Even a parasite like me should be permitted to feed at the banquet of knowledge
I once posted comments as Bevingaren at guardian.co.uk
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Note All parasitoids are parasites, but not all parasites are parasitoids Parasitoid "A parasite that always ultimately destroys its host" (Oxford English Dictionary) I live off you
And you live off me And the whole world Lives off everybody See we gotta be exploited By somebody, by somebody, by somebody X-Ray Spex <I live off you> Germ Free Adolescents 1978 From symbiosis
to parasitism is a short step. The word is now a virus. William Burroughs
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