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ecause we were not under pressure in 1993 to represent somethingnational. Instead, the artists were left to use their language.I see a danger, that artists like Ms. Trockel, who work deconstructivelyrather than symbolically, would lose their own language and forget theirpower, and fall into the symbolic language of the 19th century at themoment they received a commission for a memorial. The modern periodhas always worked differently. If I contradict Professor Morsch it’s because Ihave confidence in the innovative power of art, which really changes things,and confidence in the artists, who will not bend to the wishes being pressedupon them, and will employ their subversive powers to raise questions.But I also estimate the role of the recipients differently. When peoplecome into memorial museums or visit monuments, they do so without preconceptionsbut are laden nevertheless with images from the media. Thetask of the artists is, therefore, to peer into history and work with mediaimages to effect something subversive to counter those media images andthe limitations they imply.”The moderator asked, whether the necessity of imparting information getsartists more strongly into working with text, than they would do otherwise.Ms. Kaiser answered, that she would designate the works of artists like Stihand Schnock in the Bayerische Viertel (so called ‘Bavarian Quarter’), forexample, as conceptual art, which attempts to mix images and text.Ms. Kaiser: “The images are not symbols, but instead prompts to communicate;the texts exist in opposition to the images and provide historicallinks. The works of Jenny Holzer, for example, are different. In them, print isa central aesthetic element. In the works of Stih and Schnock, text relatesto images in a synaesthetic way. Both enter a new level. That, I think, wouldbe an appropriate conceptual form that is correct and important for thismemorial.”Professor Dolff-Bonekämper followed up by taking a position on the questionthat the memorial ‘Parcours’ (show-jumping course) being establishedwould change the way the memorials are received. She elaborated that ifthe word ‘Parcours’ was meant to describe a topographical relationship – apath – that should be followed in a specific order, at first the problems ofcommemoration concepts have to be expounded.Professor Dolff-Bonekämper: “The people who walk through the ‘Parcours’are not to be reminded of something that they already know, instead,they are to receive instruction. If they are to learn things they don’t alreadyknow, then the path becomes a journey to knowledge rather than a path toremembrance. The order, in which the different stations are visited, even ifprescribed, cannot simply be connoted by an educational objective. Anoverarching concept encompassing all memorials in Berlin (introduced lastweek in the press), prescribes a interpretive predominance backed up bythe most recent, reliable research. This concept would develop into a masterdiscourse, making the memorial ‘Parcours’ a type of compulsory educationalprogram. What is so valuable about Berlin and the surrounding areais the fact that each visitor can choose their own route. In and of itself, thepar-course is not a problem. But if it must be used in a prescribed way, thenthere is a problem.120