9. The Open Hand & Other Monuments

07/02/2025 37 min Temporada 1 Episodio 9
9. The Open Hand & Other Monuments

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Episode Synopsis

In this episode, we explore the monuments of the Capitol Complex - their meanings, functions and origins. We critique the symbolism of the Open Hand and its present-day transformation and overuse as a symbol. We also briefly discuss the mythical status of Chandigarh in the architectural imagination.     TIMESTAMPS:   1:10 - What might be the reason behind the lack of literature around the monuments in the Capitol Complex?   2:13 - What are the different monuments?   3:16 - The missing sculptures of the Martyr's Memorial   4:41 - The martyrdom / end of history and the lack of statues in the city   6:10 - The Tower of Shadows and the Artificial Hill (24 Solar Hours) and 'briese-soleil'   7:54 - The Capitol monuments as an ode to the cosmos   10:01 - Monuments as shrines of Corb's belief system akin to Nehru's dams   10:49 - Similarity to 'follies' with lack of a defined program   12:53 - The invention of new 'modernist rituals'   13:19 - Monuments as 'direction indicators' and 'mileposts'   16:05 - Could the monuments be read as cubist objects that act peripherally to reframe the  main buildings?   16:48 - The 'original' concept of the folly in British stroll gardens and Chinese/Japanese gardens   18:57 - The genesis of the Open Hand - a symbol of the 'second machine age'…  open to give and receive   21:28 - The Cold War, the Non-Aligned Movement and independent thinking - utopian vision articulated in the Open Hand   25:12 - Sidestepping the dualities of East-West critiques around Chandigarh; 'Non-Aligned Modernism'   26:10 - The 'situationist' modus operandi of modernism   27:14 - What does the ubiquitousness of the Open Hand as a symbol of Chandigarh do its meaning?   28:11 - The uncontrollable transformation and dissemination of symbols / Fondation Le Corbusier's Open Hand logo   31:37 - Other monument like structures and symbols around the city   33:37 - Monuments collectively as objects of intrigue   35:44 - Chandigarh's status as mythical in the public imagination