People document themselves in many different types of spaces, whether it be by leaving something behind or taking a picture of a place they've been. For this project, I sought to find out how people - mainly fans - behaved in Pere Lachaise cemetery around the graves.
I initially asked myself the following questions:
1. What is the content in these memorials? (Do people write notes, sign their names, etc?)
2. How do they do it? (Paper, biodegradable things, etc.)
3. Where are the places of most memorializing?
4. Why do people memorialize themselves?
Here are the answers:
1. The content is more likely to be centered around the deceased. For instance, flowers are usually directed towards the deceased. But there were also traces of names and dates that were found on graves near Jim Morrison's, signifying most likely dates and times when the author was last in the cemetery. Sometimes there were notes to the deceased. More than likely, the memorials were directed towards the deceased.
2. Usually the memorials are hung or placed near graves. However, these only seemed to be done when there were people there who made the conscious effort to memorialize beforehand. There were also traces of garbage around graves, more likely in "accidental memorializing". Just as well, people took photographs of themselves or the grave to memorialize.
3. Obviously, most of the activity is around Morrison's grave. There was also a little bit of activity at Heloise and Abelard's grave, but that was most likely due to the fact that the structure itself was beautiful to behold. Also, there was activity around most every grave with flowers or other tributes on them, based on the aforesaid tributes.
4. It feels GOOD. There's something magical about proving you've been to a famous place.
From reading the readings, it's clear to me now that fans are making things happen in these kinds of spaces and they're breaking the rules of how to "properly behave" in cemeteries.
If I had more time, I would be able to interview more than one subject and take more pictures. Over an extended period of time, I predict it would be easy to see how people's messages grow and evolve, especially do to the uprising of social media.
My work shows that in just two weeks, people have continued to celebrate people they love in a way that captures themselves.
I initially asked myself the following questions:
1. What is the content in these memorials? (Do people write notes, sign their names, etc?)
2. How do they do it? (Paper, biodegradable things, etc.)
3. Where are the places of most memorializing?
4. Why do people memorialize themselves?
Here are the answers:
1. The content is more likely to be centered around the deceased. For instance, flowers are usually directed towards the deceased. But there were also traces of names and dates that were found on graves near Jim Morrison's, signifying most likely dates and times when the author was last in the cemetery. Sometimes there were notes to the deceased. More than likely, the memorials were directed towards the deceased.
2. Usually the memorials are hung or placed near graves. However, these only seemed to be done when there were people there who made the conscious effort to memorialize beforehand. There were also traces of garbage around graves, more likely in "accidental memorializing". Just as well, people took photographs of themselves or the grave to memorialize.
3. Obviously, most of the activity is around Morrison's grave. There was also a little bit of activity at Heloise and Abelard's grave, but that was most likely due to the fact that the structure itself was beautiful to behold. Also, there was activity around most every grave with flowers or other tributes on them, based on the aforesaid tributes.
4. It feels GOOD. There's something magical about proving you've been to a famous place.
From reading the readings, it's clear to me now that fans are making things happen in these kinds of spaces and they're breaking the rules of how to "properly behave" in cemeteries.
If I had more time, I would be able to interview more than one subject and take more pictures. Over an extended period of time, I predict it would be easy to see how people's messages grow and evolve, especially do to the uprising of social media.
My work shows that in just two weeks, people have continued to celebrate people they love in a way that captures themselves.
References
"FLOWERS ON GRAVES." Philadelphia Album and Ladies Literary Gazette (1827-1830) Dec 03 1828: 215. ProQuest. Web. 22 July 2014 .
Jenkins, H. (2002). Interactive Audiences
De Kosnik, A. (2013) Interrogating Modes of Digital Labor. In Trebor. Scholz. Digital Labor: The Internet as a Playground and Factory. Retrieved from: http://www.academia.edu/2303176/Introduction_to_Digital_Labor_The_Internet_as_Playground_and_Factory
Jenkins, H. (2002). Interactive Audiences
De Kosnik, A. (2013) Interrogating Modes of Digital Labor. In Trebor. Scholz. Digital Labor: The Internet as a Playground and Factory. Retrieved from: http://www.academia.edu/2303176/Introduction_to_Digital_Labor_The_Internet_as_Playground_and_Factory