In Memory Of: Designing Contemporary Memorials

Description

Memorials hold a special position in the cultural memory of communities, cultures and nations, and In Memory Of demonstrates this as never before. This extraordinary and moving collection of more than 60 exceptional structures commemorates some of the most destructive events of the 20th and 21st centuries, including war, genocide, massacre, terrorism, famine, and slavery. At the same time, In Memory Of shows that the power to overcome, to survive, even to forgive, is just as impactful and important. Thoughtful essays on the subjects of hope, strength, grief, loss, and fear help to contextualize the projects and address the emotional aspects of memorialization.

Spencer Bailey is an American writer, editor, and journalist. He has written at length about architecture, art, culture, design, and technology, among other subjects. Bailey is also the co-founder of the media company The Slowdown and co-host of the Time Sensitive podcast.

"In a year filled with so much grief and mourning, it might seem odd to read a book about the architecture of memorials-but how and where we grieve together is an important part of our civic identity and helps define our public spaces... [a] poignant collection." - Town & Country "In this beautifully written and stunningly illustrated book, Spencer Bailey explores the forms and meanings of the most architecturally and artistically significant memorials since the early 1980s, and shows how, through a combination of abstraction, tangible materials, light, and shadow, memorials can give form to unspeakable sorrow and loss." - Bessel A. van der Kolk, M.D., author of The Body Keeps the Score "A fascinating and insightful meditation on the act of memory as a built reality. Especially today when memory is under attack and has become a political issue, this book demonstrates how memorials can bring people together in a meaningful and inspired way." - Daniel Libeskind, architect "In a moving and highly personal quest Spencer Bailey collects memories arrested in time and space that act like beacons of hope and places of redemption. An essential book reflecting on the architecture of appeasement." - Lidewij Edelkoort, trend forecaster and design curator "Memorials and sites of memory are finally, necessarily at the forefront of our contemporary discussions around a purposeful and honest design of our public realm. They exist at the intersection of the hope for a shared common civic identity, and a deep individual loss amongst intractable personal grief. No other built space bridges these gaps so profoundly so empathically, so urgently than the memorial. Or at least this is what I learned from Spencer Bailey's profund and prescient new compendium, which we should all have a copy of."-Michael Murphy, founding principal and CEO, MASS Design Group "Throughout history, memory has been the powerful impetus for the most breathtaking architectures--monuments whose role is to bring the world to a stop, even if just for a few minutes. Likewise, from its cover to the choice of images, this moving book pays respect to rites of life by asking the reader to put it on pause, to absorb and reflect."-Paola Antonelli, senior curator, architecture and design, The Museum of Modern Art "Memorials have never been more controversial. Here's a way forward."-Bloomberg