Monumental complexity : searching for the meaning of a selection of South African monuments

Abstract

In this article I will try to answer two basic questions concerning a selection of representative South African monuments erected by different groups adhering to various ideologies. Firstly, what truths and values did patrons and designers intend to express in the Rhodes Memorial (Cape Town), the Afrikaans Language Monument (Paarl), the Women's Monument (Bloemfontein), the Voortrekker Monument (Pretoria), the Samora Machel Monument (Mbuzini), the Heroes' Monument (Durban) and Freedom Park (Pretoria)? Secondly, how did their meaning change over time on various issues such as gender, language, ethics, site, historiography, the dialectics between different monuments, the problematics of heroism, as well as ethnic difference, especially when viewed from a postcolonial vantage point? However, the notions of "truth" and "values" in the ideological context of monuments are ambiguous, as can be ascertained from a brief survey of the methodologies applied and conclusions drawn by researchers representing those disciplines that most often deal with the subject matter of monuments. These are: art history, architectural history, cultural history, history, postcolonial studies, and occasionally also practitioners of other disciplines such as philosophy and anthropology.

In hierdie artikel poog ek om twee basiese vrae te beantwoord rakende 'n geselekteerde groep verteenwoordigende monumente wat deur verskillende groepe wat verskeie ideologiee aanhang, opgerig is. Eerstens, watter waarhede en waardes wou die borge en ontwerpers in die Rhodes-gedenkteken (Kaapstad), die Afrikaanse Taalmonument (Paarl), die Vroue-monument (Bloemfontein), die Voortrekker-monument (Pretoria), die Samora Machel-monument (Mbuzini), die Helde-monument (Durban) en Vryheidspark Pretoria) uitdruk? Tweedens, hoe het hulle betekenis ten opsigte van kwessies soos geslag, taal, etiek, terrein, geskiedskrywing, die dialektiek tussen verskillende monumente, die problematiek van heroisme, asook etniese verskille oor tyd verander, veral vanuit 'n postkoloniale standpunt betrag? Die begrippe "waarheid" en "waardes" bly nietemin in die ideologiese konteks van monumente dubbelsinnig, soos afgelei kan word uit 'n oorsig van die gevolgtrekkings, gegrond op verskillende metodologiee, van navorsers wat verskillende dissiplines verteenwoordig en in die algemeen meer dikwels oor monumente skryf, te wete kunsgeskiedenis, argitektuurgeskiedenis, kultuurgeskiedenis, geskiedenis, postkoloniale studies, en af en toe ook die beoefenaars van ander dissiplines soos wysbegeerte en antropologie.