Above you can look through some of the photographs that my sister, Emily, took when she visited the Nanjing Massacre Memorial.
The designs of more recent memorials compared with the designs of more historical memorials raises the question of what a traditional memorial is, and how the concept of a traditional memorial is changing. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial (1982), the USS Arizona Memorial (1962), and the Holocaust Memorial (2005) all challenge the notion of what a traditional memorial is. The lack of direct representation at these memorials add to their hybridity because there is more opportunity for the meaning to shift.
The Nanjing Massacre Memorial (1985) built by the Nanjing Municipal Government is a memorial to the murdered victims of Nanjing by the Japanese Army in 1937. This memorial imposes a single, fixed meaning onto its visitors. In this sense, it is more traditional and not a hybrid memorial. Although it conveys a deep level of emotion, it is more constricting in its message and does not leave any room for interpretation. The Japanese held control over Nanjing for six weeks, and murdered innocent civilians in China. The memorial consists of figural statues of Chinese civilians fleeing for their lives, holding onto family members, and trying to save themselves from destruction. Although they are extremely realistic looking, the surface is textured and worn as if the statues themselves are melting or dying. Expressions of pain and anguish fill the faces of the statues, and they look as if they are caught in the act of running away or reaching out for help. The use of written language is emphasized throughout the memorial, especially with written accounts of the massacre, describing the Japanese as “devils.” The importance of language at this memorial is also exemplified by the translations into several different languages so that almost any kind of visitor will be able to understand the purpose of this memorial and will leave with knowledge of the events. The actual site of the memorial was built near a large burial ground for the victims, and reflects a strong desire to leave that area of Nanjing frozen in time. The trees at the site are purposely left displayed as dead to strongly demonstrate all of the destruction that Nanjing faced because of the invading Japanese Army.
Although many traditional memorials look to human figures or historical architectural forms to convey a message of remembrance, experimentation in design and ideas of memorialization can lead to a change in meaning of what tradition is. Changes in both conceptual and visual notions of recent memorials demonstrate a shift in the notions of traditional memorials. This evolution of tradition is key in understanding memorials as hybrid spaces. The ever-continuing changes in new materials, art practices, and societal constructs pave the way for new forms to be designed and popularized.
To read more about different traditional war memorials located around New York City, I encourage you to take a look at my finished thesis, which can be found on the Thesis page.
