Scanning Memory: Three Case Studies of Memorials in the Digital Age

Although the planning of memorials has deep ischolar_mains, long intertwined with architecture's, more recent proposals reflect contemporary trends in digital art and net-based social media. The following case studies serve to illustrate what represents a profound change in the definition and design of memorials: 1) 2010 Mount Rushmore Digital Scanning Project 2) MemoryLoops: 175 Audio Tracks on Sites of NS Terror in Munich 1933-1945 3) National September 11 Memorial and Museum. Despite their differences, these projects demonstrate three themes generally shared by memorials influenced strongly by digital media. The first, "displacement and reintegration," describes the transition through which certain digital technologies reconfigure object/subject relationships, traditionally space-based, through effects of mediated presence or other digital simulacra. The second, "proliferation of connection," describes the effect of net-based technologies, social media, and ubiquitous computing. The third theme is "stimulation," by which digital technologies magnify visual, aural, and even social experiences to engender a memorial's intended message.