A journey of my theory of architecture. MY blog. Mei Yin's blog.
P05: Monuments, Testimony & Memory
Jewish Museum or Between The Line as preferred by Daniel Libeskind, which he described the project was about two lines of thinking, organization and relationship. One is a straight line but broken into many fragments, the other is a tortuous line but continuing indefinitely. There are three basic ideas that formed the foundation for the museum design. Firstly, the impossibility of understanding the history of Berlin without understanding the enormous intellectual, economic and cultural contribution made by Jewish citizens of Berlin. Secondly, the necessity of integrate physically and spiritually the meaning of the Holocaust into the consciousness and memory of the city of Berlin and lastly, that only through the acknowledgment and incorporation of this erasure and void of Jewish line in Berlin, can the history of Berlin and Europe have a human future.
Besides the three ideas, there are also three aspects that Daniel Libeskind implemented in his design of Jewish museum. Firstly, the invisible and irrationally connected star which shines with absent light of individual address. Secondly, the cutoff of Act 2 of Moses and Aaron which culminates with the not musical fulfillment of the word. Thirdly, the everpresent dimension of the deported and missing Berliners and lastly, Walter Benjamin's urban apocalypse along the One Way Street. These can be further explain as; firstly, Daniel Libeskind felt that in the actual visible site, there was an invisible matrix of connections, a connections of relationship between Germans and Jews, crossing of German culture and Jewish tradition. Secondly, the music of Schonberg which he got interested with in particular period in Berlin. Due to the logic of libretto, his greatest work, 'Moses and Aaron' could not be completed. At the end, Moses speaks 'Oh word, thou word' which addressing the absence of word where he couldn't sing. Third aspect was his interest of the names of those who deported from Berlin during the Holocaust. And lastly, Walter Benjamin's 'One Way Street' that incorporate into continuous sequence of 60 sections along the zigzag, each represent the 'Stations of the Star'.
The positioning of windows in the museum was based on the precise matrix where Daniel Libeskind plotted the addresses of prominent Jewish and German citizens on a map of pre-war Berlin and joined the points to form an 'irrational and invisible matrix'. From that matrix, resulting the positioning of windows are primarily narrow slits, barely enable apparent to the observer from outside or inside of the building. Besides, the whole building is coated with zinc which has a long tradition in Berlin's architectural history.
The intersections of the first line which winding with several kinks and second line which cut through the whole building created 'voids'. Voids, where the action of cutting through the form of museum represent the central structural elements of the connections between new and old buildings. Israeli artist, Menashe Kadishman's steel sculpture, 'Shalechet' which means fallen leaves covers the entire floor of one of the the five voids. The intention of putting Shalechet on the entire floor can be explain through: "Shalechet" (Fallen Leaves) is constituted by a very large number of heavy, circular-shaped, iron disks forged into the semblance of a frantic screaming face. The disks are scattered over almost the whole surface of the gallery floor and the visitor is asked to tread them. This difficult walking exercise provokes a profound feeling of uneasiness since not only is it hard to keep one's balance, one is also unconsciously reluctant to trample a work of art which, in addition, represents such painful feelings. Whether knowingly or not - by his desire to make us experience an uneasiness which is a metaphor for the emotional turmoil that seizes a concerned person when reminded of the tragedy of the Shoah (Holocaust). In fact his seemingly boundless bed of "shalechet" [the Hebrew one-word term for 'fallen' or `dead leaves') cannot fail to dramatically evoke the powerless victims of this appalling calamity. Hence, what we are actually asked to do is not merely to walk on a carpet of metallic human leaves, but to walk out of the question "where were we when all this happened?" The association of the leaves to the persons occurs all the more naturally since it is an age-old identification. The leaf, as is the case for vegetation in general, stands in fact for a cyclic transformation and for the seasonal character of time and life. Like mythical land biblical) mankind, the leaf originates from mother earth and hence has often been assimilated to man, as in the poignant, four-verse poem 4 written in the trenches of World War l - entitled "Soldiers," where Giuseppe Ungaretti made his striking association; "We are like leaves on the trees in autumn."
(source: http://www.kadishman.com/works/shalechet/Articles/Arturo_Schwartz/)
This is my favorite part of Jewish museum. The action of stepping on the shalechet makes me feel like there is actually people who got stepped but not the metal sheets. With the facial kind of shape on the shalechet, it tends to make me imagine people stepping on people and how they feel when got stepped. That is why in my sketching, there are different facial expression representing the shalechet. When people walking on top of the metal sheet, they feel unstable. It makes me wondering, is that how it feels like during that time, people who stepping on others feeling unstable, insecure too? Or are they too cruel and emotionless to feel the pain and suffers of others? The architect is trying to bring back the memory of Jews to the people and i think, he make it a successful one.
Underground passage way linked between old building and new building where the museum has no official entrance. Visitors are required to pass through the passage way which starts from the old building in order to go to the museum. There are three axes where each represents different pathway to different space. The first and longest axe is the 'Axis of Continuity' which connects old building with the main staircase which leads to the exhibition levels. Daniel Libeskind describes this axe as the continuation of Berlin's history, the connecting path from which the other axes branch off. The second axe is the 'Axis of Emigration' which leads outside to daylight and the 'Garden of Exile' where the garden represents a shipwreck of history that attempts to completely disorientate the visitor. In the garden, 49 concrete columns rise out of the square plot and Russian olive grows on top on the columns symbolizing hopes. The 'Axis of Holocaust' is a dead end where it becomes ever narrower and darker and ends at the Holocaust Tower. The glass cases on the way display documents and personal possessions testifying to the demise.
All three of the underground axes intersect, symbolizing the connection between the three realities of Jewish life in Germany.
As for local examples of commemorate the dead, the National Monument (Tugu Negara) portraying the sculpture that commemorates those who died in the Malaysia's struggle for freedom against Japanese occupation during World War I and Malayan Emergency. There are seven figures which each symbolizing; leadership, suffering, unity, vigilance, strength, courage and sacrifice. Besides the monument, the compound also fitted with fountains, pavilion, war memorial and garden.
Second example is the Heroes' Mausoleum (Makam Pahlawan) which housed the bodies of Malaysia's leaders and politicians. It is located near the National Mosque and is a 7-pointed star concrete roofed structure.
National Museum (Muzium Negara) which located at Jalan Damansara is the third example of how Malaysian commemorate the dead. National museum is a palatial structure built in the style of Rumah Gadang, an aspect of Minangkabau architecture. Its facade comprises elements of traditional Malay and modern features. It serves as a repository of Malaysia’s rich cultural and historical heritage. Displays and exhibits in the museum focus on local history, culture and traditions, arts and crafts, economic activities, local flora and fauna, weapons and currency. The museum houses various galleries, each with its own theme. The ground floor showcases the geographic and natural history of the Malay peninsula starting with the Stone Age, the Bronze Age and the Iron Age. The proto-Malay states of Gangga Negara and Majapahit are referenced, as well as the later Muslim Sultanate of Malacca and the various states of Malaysia. The second floor is dedicated to the colonial history leading all the way to Independence. Exhibited are copies of the royal headgear of Malay rulers. Other galleries include the National Sports Gallery and the Natural History Gallery. In the vicinity of the museum building, there are a number of outdoor displays of transportation in Malaysia, past and present. An interesting exhibit is the Melaka Bullock Cart which closely resembles the early American horse-drawn wagon. Of unparalleled interest are the Steam Locomotive made by Kitson & Co, England, which was put into service in 1921 until it ceased operation in 1969. It covered 1.5 million rail miles; a Tin Dredge which resembles a floating factory, on a natural or artificial lake. A major achievement of Malaysia is the manufacture of the first national car – the Proton Saga 1.3 litre, on April 18, 1985. Muzium Negara also holds regular thematic exhibitions featuring specific aspects of life and world culture. (source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Museum_%28Malaysia%29)
Comparing the Jewish Museum and National Monument, Heroes' Mausoleum or National Museum in Malaysia, there are obvious differences that we can recognize easily, first of all, Jewish Museum is honoring the victims of Holocaust instead of the warriors as what we can see from local example where leaders or warriors are commemorated using figures or specially built burial place. Besides, the interpretation of buildings in terms of design plays an important role in commemorate the dead by understanding the relationship between architecture and history. As from what we can see through local examples, building forms are mostly derived from the historical architectural style which resembles the background of the architectural history but not the background of how the country first obtain its independence from Japan or freedom from Malayan Emergency. Most importantly, the feeling of visitors within that building. Can they feel the same as what those leaders that sacrificed their lives felt during that period? Or can they know the historical elements or history by just observing the building forms but not through documents and artifacts that speak the truth easily?
These can be further explain that, i think Malaysia's National Museum, National Monuments or Heroes' Mausoleum did not interpret the meaning of 'commemorate the dead' well through architecture. This is because, mostly we get to know the history by reading the documents or explanation provided along the exhibition area but not from the form of building or the space within it as what Daniel Libeskind did on Jewish Museum where the building speaks for itself. It there is no explanation, we barely know what is the building form trying to send us the message from the past. Unlike Jewish Museum, every single part of it was created just to let the visitors to feel the emotions or feelings during that periods where we can actually imagine the real situation by just walking within the created space. A very good example is the used of Salechet to shows the faces of the Holocaust's victims. I do believe that Jewish Museum managed to commemorate the dead by just the building forms where Daniel Libeskind incorporated the history and architecture.
In my opinion, heroes of Malaysia can be best commemorated by incorporating history and architecture as what Jewish Museum did. It is best where visitors can actually feel and imagine the situation during that period from what they see, touch and listen physically and emotionally. Let the building speaks for itself. In addition, heroes of Malaysia can also be commemorate where we can actually experience what they have gone through during that period. It can be a 'time machine' where visitors were brought back to that particular period where everything surrounding are no longer familiar to them and back to the pass. This can eventually boost the imagination of visitors and they will think they are actually experiencing the incident with our heroes.
In conclusion, i think history and architecture can't be separated. By preserving the history and cultural through architecture, we get to know the situation of that period and hence, we appreciate what our heroes did and will be to commemorate them the best by not repeating the mistakes.
Yet Another Day ; Monday, July 12, 2010
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