What Is Monumental Today?

A political collective culture of remembrance is an essential requirement for a democratic society. What happens when certain groups are excluded from both the public sphere and historical narratives – and what can be done to change this? Which structures and performative rituals are necessary to establish a counter position to the asserted monumentality of traditional memorials as an embodiment of ruling power? As the second part of Chto Delat’s ongoing project questioning the concept of monumentality that will span Vienna, Berlin and Saint Petersburg, they create a new performance: During a one-week workshop in which they will conduct a targeted historical investigation, they will develop new strategies of empowerment and, at the end, present a learning play. During the entire festival, an exhibition at the Haus der Berliner Festspiele will present excerpts from the project’s first station in Vienna: “Face To Face With Monument!”