Till Vladimir Gortans minne

En fenomenologisk studie av monumentens förvandling

Abstract

In developing regional identities in contemporary "New Europe", cultural heritage has been frequently used in creating a territorial definition of similarity and difference. People in the region of Istria are also "colonizing" themselves with images of what a true Istrian identity means. In this process the values of openness, multiculturalism and tolerance have been brought to the fore — rather than claims for homogeneity, authenticity and exclusion of the other. This partially is founded upon the extremely variational history during the 20th century. But it is also facilitated by the lack of a uniting "grand narrative". Instead material culture, art, monuments and landscape are being used as points of identification. This paper discusses the uses of monument from two different periods: The Medieval painting in the small town of Beram and the socialist partisan monument from the 50's in the very same place. The former is being used in a context where a "personal regionalism" can be constructed, while the latter is trying to compel citizens to think in terms of the state, and thus stops being culturally generative. Today's regionalism also paves the way for bringing up ontological issues and here the opaque and mythical is clearly rewarding to use.