As part of a walk recently, I ventured though a local churchyard and came across this moving memorial to a local child. It was extraordinary not only in its scale but also in the variety of objects that had been accumulated. It reminded me instantly of the outpouring of grief following the death of Diana Princess of Wales. It also reminded me of the increasingly frequent, and often informal representations of mourning that are appearing within the public realm. Although a difficult topic to face, our attitudes towards the dead, and in particular those who have been victims of violent crime or traffic accidents, is relevant to the study of how the public realm is experienced.
There are a number of aspects of this particular phenomenon that are well documented on a range on websites; the first that I would like to highlight is an American site dedicated to ‘makeshift memorials’ . This site shows the variety of objects and arrangements that are used, but perhaps more ominously it might foretell the results of a growing gang culture in the UK.
We are already starting to see these impromptu memorials; the image above shows Kodjo Yenga’s memorial in Hammersmith London, he was killed on the 14th of March 2007.
The other key focus for public realm memorials relates to those who have died in accidents. The illustration below is typical of the kind of sight that is becoming increasingly common.
The following link provides further examples and commentary: roadside memorials.
Perhaps a more obscure realisation of this kind of memorial is being used for those that have been killed whilst riding a bicycle. Starting in America the phenomenon of leaving a ‘ghost bike’ at the scene is spreading to other countries. The following link can provide more information: ghost bikes
Clearly the material representation of grief and remembrance within the public realm is becoming more common place, it can take many forms but is often spontaneous, temporary and wrought in difficult and delicate emotions.
This has led to one aspect of the subject that intrigues us, the tension or perhaps I should say balance, that exists between the general public and those charged with looking after the public realm. Almost every council now has a policy relating to temporary and permanent roadside memorials: Surrey county council roadside memorials policy seems to cover many of the main issues.
For us this is going to be an area to watch, it is likely that this practice will not only continue but also grow. The existing formats will become more widespread and we are also likely to see increasingly creative expressions of remembrance. In all probability this will increase the problems for councils, the image at the beginning of this post shows how material memorials can help families with their grief, but it was in a tucked away corner of a church yard. It would be difficult to imagine how this might be dealt with should it have been created in a more public place.
