Victims of Commemoration: The Architecture and Violence of Confronting the Past in Turkey

Commemoration is essential to confronting a nation's violent past, but this focus ignores the reality of violence's continuing presence. Çayli's book "Victims of Commemoration" explores activist and official commemorations at sites of state-endorsed violence in Turkey, revealing the ways in which these memorial sites often exist alongside and at times exacerbate the violence itself.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 277 pages
Publication date: 03 August 2022
Publisher: Syracuse University Press

Commemoration plays a vital role in addressing a nation's violent past. Opinions on commemoration often revolve around representation and reception, focusing on how the commemoration narrates violence and how the public responds to it. However, this narrow focus disregards the ongoing presence of violence, even in the very public spaces of commemoration. The urgency of reevaluating this perspective has become increasingly apparent in contemporary Turkey, where the country's global image has undergone a rapid decline, transitioning from a regional beacon of democratization and prosperity to a hotbed of conflict and oppression within a short period.

In her book, Victims of Commemoration, Çayli delves into activist and official commemorations at sites of state-endorsed violence in Turkey. Çayli examines the profound impact of these commemorative acts and artifacts on the daily lives of the cities where these sites are located. This comprehensive account is the first to emphasize the centrality of spaces in confronting state-endorsed violence. Drawing upon ethnographic research conducted during the first half of the 2010s, a period characterized by Turkey's rapidly deteriorating global image, Victims of Commemoration challenges our tendency to separate commemoration from violence. It reveals how these memorial sites often coexist with and sometimes exacerbate the violence they seek to commemorate.

Through her meticulous analysis, Çayli sheds light on the complex dynamics that shape the relationship between commemoration and violence. She explores how these commemorative spaces can serve as sites of resistance and healing, as well as perpetuate cycles of violence and trauma. Çayli's work highlights the need for a more nuanced and empathetic approach to commemoration that recognizes the ongoing presence of violence and its impact on individuals and communities.

By examining the case of contemporary Turkey, Çayli's book offers valuable insights into the challenges and complexities of confronting a nation's violent past. It underscores the importance of a comprehensive and intersectional approach that considers the cultural, social, and political dimensions of commemoration. Victims of Commemoration contributes to our understanding of the ways in which memorial sites can both perpetuate and challenge violence, and provides a roadmap for designing more effective and inclusive commemorative practices.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780815637516