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