Not Telling Us What to Think: The Vietnam Veterans Memorial

Information design and the world that comes before us

“…Polt, along with commentators such as Carney (1993), has cited 'silence' as a major factor in the effectiveness of the work. On Polt's account, 'the memorial is astoundingly simple … [yet] … it holds the interest of anyone who is willing to pause and to silence the noise of everyday consciousness' (Polt, 1998: 135).…”

The psychology of modern memorials: the affective intertwining of personal and collective memories / La psicología de los monumentos modernos: la implicación afectiva de los recuerdos personales y colectivos

“…Maya Lin´s memorial reverses the rationale behind traditional memorials as (1) no heroic deeds or victories are represented, but rather individual losses; (2) death is no longer redeemed and subsumed into a higher abstract cause, but individualized through the more than 57,000 names listed on the memorial’s black walls (notably, the memorial was not made to commemorate the ‘war’ but its ‘veterans’); and (3) the figurative representation of traditional memorials gives way to a minimalist style which, in turn, opens up the possibility for different interpretations and ways of interacting with the site (Carney, 1993). Significantly, the memorial requires that the visitor moves through it rather than observe it from the outside.…”

“…Carved into the ground, a black wound in the landscape and an explicit counterpoint to Washington's prevailing white, neoclassical obelisks and statuary, Maya Lin's design articulated loss without redemption, and formalized a national ambivalence surrounding the memory of American soldiers sent to fight and die in a war the country now abhorred. (Young, 2016, p. 3) Maya Lin´s memorial reverses the rationale behind traditional memorials as (1) no heroic deeds or victories are represented, but rather individual losses; (2) death is no longer redeemed and subsumed into a higher abstract cause, but individualized through the more than 57,000 names listed on the memorial's black walls (notably, the memorial was not made to commemorate the 'war' but its 'veterans'); and (3) the figurative representation of traditional memorials gives way to a minimalist style which, in turn, opens up the possibility for different interpretations and ways of interacting with the site (Carney, 1993). Significantly, the memorial requires that the visitor moves through it rather than observe it from the outside.…”

Collective remembering through the materiality and organization of war memorials

“…The wall was to be placed against a vertical cut in the earth, so that the ground would cover most of the back of the memorial, sloping down to its base in the front. It would be inscribed with the names of the 58,000 dead soldiers, in chronological order (Carney, 1993). Although the submission was unanimously selected by the competition jury, it quickly attracted strong opposition, reflecting the continuing controversy around the war.…”

“…The memorial is lowered into the ground, providing a space set apart from the hustle of the National Mall, but at the same time it benefits from the grandiosity of the nearby more traditional monuments. The polished surface of the wall allows visitors to see themselves reflected in the list of names, creating a link between the living and the dead (Carney, 1993). The minimalist design encompasses the ambiguity surrounding the memory of the war and encourages diverse perspectives.…”