Be Remembered - a monument for Randers

Various dimensions

Cardboard, scissors, box cutters, glue, EU-pallet, flat-screen, banner prints, clay, wood, tent, table, tablecloth and raffle

With initiative from the local arts community in Randers (DK), we were invited to do an art project in the public space during the annual festival week in the city. We decided to continue the concept of 'Be Remembered' by installing another raffle booth with only one winner ticket. This time the winner would get a bust of him- or herself placed in the public space of Randers. We noticed that Randers already had a strong history with busts of ancient heroes such as Niels Ebbesen, a Danish squire who died in 1340, but why not honour a citizen of today?

However, Randers Municipality didn't like the randomness of the project, which is the core of the 'Be Remembered' concept. They were afraid, that the monument would end up 'in the wrong hands'. Therefore, the citizens of Randers, were not able to buy a ticket at our raffle but instead just look at the raffle which was part of a larger installation situated in the old printing house of Randers Amtsavis, a local newspaper.

The installation took the shape of a showroom, that illustrated this future vision for Randers for the purpose of creating a debate about what is important to remember from our contemporaries. How can we characterize the heroes of today? What are the achievements we consider as being splendid in our society of today? Where do we find the significant stories of our cities? And for Randers, what can (if anything) replace the old story of Niels Ebbesen?

'Be Remembered - a monument for Randers' is the second part of an exhibition series made in collaboration with Jens Axel Beck (DK). First part was made in West Chicago in 2012. For more information about the first project, click here, or find us on Facebook.