遺忘的權利：從反紀念碑的記憶工事探討《歐洲猶太人受難者紀念碑》

Abstract

「反紀念碑」作為1980年代以來對抗官方歷史、反思紀念傳統的藝術類型，隨著西方國家以之為策略來處理社會爭議，引發對過去集體創傷的公開辯論與文化紀念的需求。本論文考察德國柏林《歐洲猶太人受難者紀念碑》從無到有的創造過程，說明反紀念碑如何在牴觸輿論的情況下提供紀念的新途徑。

首先，本文探索反紀念碑的定義、類型及目的，回顧德國過往「紀念碑化」的進程－借助Pierre Nora、James E. Young等學者所謂的「記憶工事」，觀眾面對幾乎被遺忘的事物而意識到記憶的責任。《歐洲猶太人受難者紀念碑》起初目標在於記住大浩劫受難者，但是爭議的提案與曲折的評選過程顯示德國記憶文化隱含了罪責、創傷與焦慮，使得這座紀念碑成為困惑人心的地點，德人似乎傾向於為自己而不是猶太受害者而哀悼。因此，最初的意圖被扭曲了。

另一方面，本研究也由造形美學角度來探討觀眾的空間體驗及作品的美學隱喻，並藉由物質與空無關係互動提出紀念碑化的概念模型，解釋反紀念碑如何處於記憶與遺忘的張力之間。《歐洲猶太人受難者紀念碑》試圖鼓勵觀眾以身體感知去代替符號象徵，企圖活化個人記憶、開啟對大浩劫事件的感情並以想像去同理受難邊緣群體痛苦的記憶。

最後，本文也將眼光拉遠至區域性與跨國界的記憶脈絡，綜合上述認識評估「反紀念碑」多樣的類型應用於當代記憶工事的潛力。透過這一牽涉廣泛的個案研究，將更深入地認識記憶保存的物質化傳統之優劣，並且能更加了解「反紀念碑」的記憶工事如何揭示昔日不被看見的、以及曾被遺忘的過去“Counter-monuments or anti-memorials” are a genre of art in opposition to the official history of a state. First gaining prominence in the 1980’s, they reflect both on the ideas underlying commemorative traditions per se, and also on the traditional monuments of a nation. The West adopted this concept as a strategic move in coping with social controversies, thereby triggering an open debate on past collective trauma in addition to arousing a need for cultural commemoration. The study examines the creation of the work Denkmal für die Ermordeten Juden Europas in Berlin, and illustrates the manner in which counter-monuments or anti-memorials provide a commemorative alternative regardless of mainstream public recognition.

Firstly, this thesis explores the definition, classification and objectives of counter-monuments, reviewing the “monumentalizing” movement in Germany, which was instrumental in the introduction of the idea of “memory-work” as theorized by Pierre Nora and James E. Young. Casting light on almost-forgotten fading memories, such work reminds viewers that their responsibility is to bear in mind what truly matters. Although the monument was supposedly established as a memorial for the victims of the Holocaust, the controversial design and subsequent assessments indicated the emotions behind German commemorative cultures: those of traumatic guilt and overwhelming anxiety. These feelings made this monument a perplexing place where Germans, immersed in a disheartening atmosphere, tended to mourn themselves instead of Jewish victims. Consequently, the original intention was distorted.

In addition, the study investigates the aesthetic metaphors behind the work as well as the spatial experiences of viewers from the point of view of stylistic aesthetics. From material and void, a monumentalizing model can be constructed to explain how counter-monuments can balance the tension between remembering and forgetting. The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe was designed to encourage people to trust their embodied senses rather than idiomatic symbols. This functioned to bring to life memories deeply buried within suffering minds, enabling them to empathize with the agony of marginalized groups, picturing the full horror of the Holocaust,

Finally, in determining whether the concept of the counter-monuments or anti-memorial may be potentially applied to contemporary memory-works, this study further combines and compares both regional and international memory contexts. Through a wider range of case studies, the highly materialized tendency underlying memory-conservation is evaluated, thus ensuring that memory works featuring the concept of the counter-monument or anti-memorial uncover a significant past event never before seen or now long-forgotten.