In my mind, a memorial is a space open to the public, where one can physically visit and reflect; leave words, flowers, and teddy bears. After incidents that have occurred recently, the idea of a memorial has transcended into something else. Influenced by a different generation, a generation whose main source of communication involves a technological interface such as a cell phone or screen, their generation has redefined the way one grieves.
Facebook.com, a place where students socialize and posts pictures of their weekend debauchery, a place where potential employers do their research, has become a place no longer just about socializing. These pages of personal information, social habits, and networking turn into a space of memory. A memory of a person who has lost his or her life due to an unimaginable event, a webpage becomes a memorial.
If a memorial can go be beyond a wall or sculpture, how does that transcend with other aspects of architecture. Can a hospital be put online? A park? It’s happened. Cyberspace is our new land. Maya Lin spoke of her next memorial to be based on the internet. She didn’t have to create it, the new generation did. I’m sure this is not the first time this correlation has happened, but it’s the first time I’ve absorbed it.
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