Review article
De Questione Monumenti (On the Question of Monuments)
Kovačić Kuzma
Abstract
This article discusses the question of monuments from the point of view of the author who has, for more than a quarter of a century, been actively involved in monumental sculpture, an interest-provoking issue both for the visual arts professionals and the entire Croatian public. It is claimed that nowadays a monument presents a point of conflict and bitter disputes, therefore it is an undeniably living, authentic social need and an important cultural and artistic phenomenon. The first part of the work analyses the concept of a monument and its meaning, the forms of its manifestations, observing that the concept of a monument is most frequently and foremostly associated with monumental sculpture, that is a statue or a sculpture, monument being the means of communication and sculptor the communicator. The second part discusses the attitude towards monuments in today`s Croatia, stating the typical examples and emphasizing the main issues considering the monuments` basic function to publicly promote values of a specific community and the need to acquire a correct attitude towards the past (the question of identity!), and simultaneously towards the present and the future. Finally, a proposal is made to build a new monument, essential to our nation and society; a monument to Croatian victims of crimes committed by the communist and partisans at the end and in the aftermath of World War II. The proposal is supported by the thesis that a monument precedes the resolution of historical disputes, it is a vanguard of the verdict on the historical truth, and not merely a subsequent confirmation. To conclude, building this monument will terminate the imposed discussion de questione monumenti.
Keywords
monument; art; statue; past; truth; value; conflict
Hrčak ID:
135051
URI
Publication date:
17.12.2014.
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