The Value of Light in Contemporary Memorials : Understanding the needs of contemporary memorials and how they can be accomplished with light. Proposal of a light installation for commemorating the 1989 acticommunist Revolution in Timisoara.

Abstract: The master thesis is a research about the relationship between memorials and light. It first studies the characteristics of cultural memories and tries to find what the advantages of using lighting as a means of commemoration are. The nowadays memorials are very different compared to the traditional monuments and they should include a changing narrative, treating local and universal messages. They should involve the public.A contemporary memorial is ephemeral and continuously changing- the same as light is.A series of contemporary memorials have been selected to understand the tools that makes them successful. Furthermore, it was analyzed how these parameters could be achieved through light. 12 memorials that use light as an eloquent tool have been interpreted according to certain criteria.The second part of the thesis is an applied project related to the events that happened in Timisoara, Romania, in 1989 during the anticommunist Revolution. The process of creating memorials for Timisoara is a key focus of the study. The development is equally important as the end result. It searches for the significant messages and lessons of the event. Testimonials of the participants to the revolution have been studied. Interviews and questionnaires have been developed. Following this, significant places in the city and messages were chosen. The research will conclude with a lighting installations project proposal.