Abstract
Public memorials are designed to move us, to produce affect as an intrinsic part of the creation of meaning. This paper considers two public artworks commissioned to commemorate lived experiences of trauma. It considers these artworks as encountered signs' that move and unsettle. Unlike traditional memorials (including those using non-traditional forms) which are designed for mourners left behind, these public artworks commemorate pasts that continue to make themselves felt in the present. I argue that these contemporary public memorials draw on diverse elements to create an interval' of understanding.
