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How should we memorialise in the 21st century?

From the poppies at the Tower of London to the new National Covid Memorial Wall, artists and writers reflect on the role of the memorial today.

The National Covid Memorial Wall on the bank of the Thames opposite the Houses of Parliament is an unofficial site of remembrance and reflection for the 150,000 or so individuals who've died from Covid.

Artists and writers consider the role and design of memorials in the 21st century, from the poppies at The Tower of London in 2014 which toured the UK, to the recent controversy of the toppling of the Edward Colston statue in Bristol, and the proposed memorial to enslaved Africans and their descendants.

Iraqi-American artist Michael Rakowitz discusses his new statue 'April is the Cruellest Month' which has just been unveiled in Margate, which he describes as both a memorial and a monument. Anne McElvoy and historian Kate Williams consider the changing culture and significance of memorials. Oku Ekpenyon recounts her struggle to create a new memorial to slaves whose labour brought wealth to the UK, and writer Spencer Bailey considers how architects across the world have responded to recent and historic tragic events in the last four decades.

Presenter John Wilson
Producer Jerome Weatherald

Available now

28 minutes

Michael Rakowitz

Michael Rakowitz
Image to the left:聽: .聽 聽 聽A Waterfronts commission with for England's Creative Coast.聽 Image credit: (c) Thiery Bal.聽 聽Image courtesy


Main image above: A section of The National Covid Memorial Wall, London

Memorial 2007

Memorial 2007
Image: Front and back views of the maquette for a UK monument proposed by Memorial 2007 to remember enslaved Africans and their descendants.聽 聽Image credit: Courtesy .

Spencer Bailey

Spencer Bailey
Image: 聽MASS Design Group (2018) Image credit: Alan Ricks/MASS Design Group.
This image of this memorial remembering those who were lynched in the USA can be found in 's book ,聽which is available now in hardback.

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  • Mon 3 May 2021 19:15

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