spomenik: resurrecting voices in the woods · 2019. 2. 11. · spomenik was a mobile-phone based...
TRANSCRIPT
Spomenik:ResurrectingVoicesintheWoods DavidS.Kirk,AbigailC.Durrant,JimKosem,StuartReeves
ABSTRACT
Spomenik(‘monument)isadigitalmemorialarchitecturethattransposesintimeotherwise
hiddenculturalmemoriesofatrocity.Spomenikwasdesignedasasimpledigitalaudioguide,
embeddedinaremoterurallocation(KočevskiRog,Slovenia),andworkingwithoutthe
infrastructurenormallypresentatnationalmemorialsites.Byresurrectingvoicesandcultural
narrativesofthedeceased,positingthembackintothelandscapethroughdigitalmeans,
Spomenikopensadialogueabouttheeventsofthepast,inrelationtonetworksoftheliving,
exploringtheroleofvoiceandagency,asservicedthroughdesignintheactofmemorialization.
Wecontributeadetailedcasestudyofadesign-ledinquiryaboutdigitalmemorializationand
digitalpreservationofculturalheritage,andareflectiveaccountaboutthenatureoflegacyand
theextenttowhichitis(andperhapsshouldbe)necessarilyboundtonetworksofcollective
memory,mediatedthroughdesignedculturaltools.
1.INTRODUCTION
Formany,afundamentalexistentialcrisisarisesfromcontemplationofmortality.1Thedesireto
leavealegacyandtacitpresenceintheworldafterdeathcanoccupypeople’sthoughts,asthey
realizepost-mortemexistenceresidesinthememoriesofothers.Thisorientationtowards
longevitythroughmemoryencouragesmemorialization,andinmanyrespectswecan
understandhumanorientationstomortalitythroughlegacy-making.
Post-mortemremainsandmemorialartifactsareoftenarchitecturalinscope.2Memorial
architecturessuchasgravestones,tombsandevenplaquesareoftenconceptualizedas
spatializedmarkersofmemory,asiftheycontainmemories,keepingthemalive.3Digital
augmentationstogravesiteshaveincludedjustthiskindofmotivation,whereindigitalcontentis
‘attached’togravemarkers.4Thisresonatesstronglywithpersistenttropesinthestudyof
personalinformatics,whichseedigitaltoolsasmeanstosupportbetterveridicalrecallofthe
past.5Wewishhowever,totakeanalternativeperspectiveonmemory.Weseerememberingas
anenactiveprocess,mademanifestthroughtherelationshipsandinteractionswehavewith
otherpeopleandtechnologies.
WedrawinspirationfromtheworkofWertsch6onprocessesofcollectiveremembering,andin
particularfromtheexplorationofthisinrelationtocontentiousmemorialsitesbyMiddletonand
Murakami.7Memorialization,accordingtoWertsch,isinherentlyasocializedpractice,and
rememberingisinessence‘distributedbetweenpersons’.Wertschlocatestheliteralactof
rememberingwithintheindividual,butthesignificanceandmeaningoftheactivityisgivenby
howindividualactsofrememberingareinterdependentwithoneanother.8Wertschisconcerned
withthedialecticalrelationshipbetweenactiveagentsandculturaltools.Wehavetherefore
founditofinteresttoconsiderhowmemorialarchitectures,andassociateddigitalinterventions,
cometomediatememoryandprocessesofcollectiverememberingasculturaltools.
WithinthefieldofHuman-ComputerInteraction(HCI)therehasbeengrowinginterestinend-of-
lifeissues9,thanatosensitivedesign,10legacymaking,11andbereavementandgrieving.12We
drawupontheseliteraturesbecauseoftheirevidentimportanceinunpackingthedesignof
specificallydigitalmemorialinterventions.
Frameworkshavebeendevelopedtoconceptualizeemergingpracticesofdigital,physicaland
hybridizedformsofmemorialization,13buildingdigitallayersontoHallamandHockey’s
understandingsofspacesofdeath.14Relevantworkhasalsoexploredthenuancesoflegalityand
ethicsaroundmattersofdigitallegacy,15therequirementsforcareofresearchersworkingin
thesespaces16andevenvisionsofmulti-lifespandevelopment.17Muchofthisworkhowever,
drawsfocusonverypersonalrelationshipstothedeceasedorthegrieving,withmoreofan
emphasisondomesticandpersonalinteractionswithtechnology,andsitsbeyondananalysisof
thenetworkedrelationshipsthatpotentiallyinformprocessesofmemorialization.
Physicalmemorialsitesthemselveshavealsobeenextensivelystudied.Inparticularmuch
researchhasexploredcontestedsitesofculturalheritage,18includingparticularlyemotive
settingssuchasholocaustmemorials,19warmemorials,20androadsidememorials.21However,
thisisoftenintheabsenceofanydigitalinterventionatthesesites.Thestudyofthesekindsof
settingsisnecessarily‘in-the-wild’withconcomitantchallengesformethodology22andthe
politicsoflegitimateparticipation.23
Buildingonthisandotherworkarounddesigningsupporttoculturalvisiting,24wecontributein
thispaperadesign-ledstudythatexploresnovelconfigurationsofdigitaltechnologytosupport
memorializationpractices.
Herein,wepresentacasestudyofSpomenik(‘monument’inSlovenian),aprototypedigital
memorialarchitecturethattransposesintimehiddenculturalmemoriesofatrocity.Spomenik
wasamobile-phonebasedaudioguideserviceembeddedinaremoterurallocation(Kočevski
RoginSlovenia),whichworkedwithouttheinfrastructurenormallypresentatnational
memorials.Spomenikwasdevelopedfromaconceptualdesignproposedbyoneoftheresearch
team,JimKosem,andisentangledwithhisexperiencesofbeingraisedwithintheSlovenian
diasporacommunityintheUnitedStates.OurresearchteamcollaboratedheavilywiththeStudy
CentreforNationalReconciliation(SCNR)inSlovenia,25torecountknownrecordsofatrocityat
onehistoricsite.Digitally,anaudio-recordofvictimandsurvivortestimonywastransplantedto
whereitwashistoricallyredacted.Thedesignwasdevelopedduringanine-monthpartner-
collaboration.Itservedtoaugmentvisitors’experiencesofthephysicalsitebyprovidingthem
withacloud-basedserviceandmobileaccesstoafirst-personaccountofthosememorialized.26
Themobileapplicationwasaccompaniedbyawebinterfacedeliveringbothpost-visit
informationandinteractionbutalsopresentingto‘virtualvisitors’aholisticvisualizationof
serviceuse.
TheprocessofdevelopinganddeployingSpomenikallowedustoexplore,bothconceptuallyand
empirically,hownewdigitallyspatialized‘landscapesofloss’maybearticulatedandgivenform,
affectingasenseofmortalityforthoseinvolved.Further,thedesignworkallowedustocritically
examinehownetworksofconnectedstakeholders(suchasthevictims,theirrelatives,the
diasporacommunities,theauthorities,andinstitutionsofculturalmemory)areconfigured(and
conceptualized)withinthisdesignprocess.InparticulartheSpomenikexperiencehighlighted
thedistributionof‘actors’inbothspaceandtime,includingremotediasporamemberswhowere
engagedwiththegravesiteonlineandatageographicaldistance.Theworkalsoallowedusto
explorehowlegacyisconstructedwithinamemorialdesign.
Intheremainderofthispaperwedescribethecontextofthiswork,thesystemthatwas
developed,andtheprocessofourdesign-ledinquirytodevelopthememorial.Inreflectingupon
thisprocesswediscussthedesignedconfigurationoflegacy.
2.CONTEXTFORTHEWORK
Thecontextforourworkisthememorializationofpeoplemassacredinthesummerof1945by
communistpartisans,whosebodieswereinterredinmassgraves,acrossSlovenia.27Duringthe
ensuingc.45yearsofYugoslavcommunistrule,speakingabout‘whathappenedinthewoods’
wasillegal,resultinginreducedawarenessoftheseevents(especiallyamongstyounger
generations).Despitethehostilepoliticalclimate,someSloveniansdiscretelyfoughtto
memorializethosekilledbymarkingknownsitesofatrocity,forexamplethroughactsof
resistancesuchasmarkingtrees(seeFigure1a).
Figure1.IllicitmarkingofSlovenianmassgravesite(1aleft);Gigodesignedmonumentalbell(1b
right).
WitheffortsfromtheCatholicchurchwithinSlovenia,andthediasporacommunitiesoutside
(largelybasedintheUS,CanadaandArgentina),recordsofvictimsinthesemasskillingswere
kept;these‘WhiteBooks’wereconstructedbydiasporacommunitiesandlistednames,dates,
locationsofexecution,andbiographies,whereknown.
FollowingthecollapseoftheSocialistFederalRepublicofYugoslaviain1991,recognitionofthe
victims(viathegovernment-ledCommissiononConcealedMassGravesinSlovenia)hasbecome
moreopenandcommonplace,withsomesitesofficiallydesignatednationalmemorials.Akey
partnerinthisofficiallysanctionedmemorializationhasbeenSloveniancompanyGigoDesign.
GigowascommissionedtoinstallmonumentsatsevensitesacrossSlovenia.Theseincorporatea
workingbell,castinbronze,resemblingatreetrunk(seeFigure1b).Thebellisrungbypushing
the‘trunk’.EachbellhasanengravedGPScodeofitspositionandpresentssomebasic
information(location,nationalitiesofthevictims,dateandnumbersofpeoplekilled)foreach
givensite.
3.THESPOMENIKAUDIOGUIDESYSTEM
OneofthesesevenmemorialsitesbecamethesiteofengagementforourSpomenikdesign
project:KočevskiRog,locatedinsouthernSlovenia.Inthissectionwedescribetheaudioguide
systemthatwasdevelopedforthissite,andthenturntounpacktheSpomenikdesignprocess
andhowitrespondedtotheprojectpartners’voicesandtheculturesofmemorializationthatwe
engagedin.Bydoingsoweprovideacaseexampleofdesign-ledinquirythatexploresmediated
mortality.
Spomenikformedalocativemedia‘audio-guide’,accessedbysite-visitorsthroughpersonal
mobilephones,invitingbothsituatedandremoteformsofengagement.Thenarrativecontentfor
theserviceconstitutedanaudiorecordingofaspokenwordtestimony,writtenbyoneofthefew
survivorsfromthisparticularsiteofkilling.28Theentireaudiocontentis15minutesinduration.
Thesiteitselffeaturesanexistinginformationboardattheentrancetothesectionofforest
wherethemaingravesiteresides(thesiteitselfisacavelocatedwithinthatwoodland),along
withanadditionalsignthatdisplaysthephonenumberforouraudioguide(Figure2).This
locationis‘StationOne’andisindicatedwithanumber‘1’,thefirstofthree,markedwith
correspondingsignage.Theaudioguideuserisinvitedtoprogressfromonestationtothenext,
andtousetheirmobilephonetocalltheserviceateachstationtohearthenextpartofthe
unfoldingstory.Oncenarrationhasfinished,thecallisendedbyoursystem.29
Figure2.InsitusignagefortheSpomenikdeploymentreading“Calltofindoutwhatatonetime
happenedhere”
The service was configured so that the user might navigate backwards as well as forwards through the
narrative episodes at the three stations. On first dialing, the user receives an introduction and is asked
to confirm which station they are at, using number buttons on their phone. At this point, the system
creates a profile for them and stores this in a database so that their interactions with the system may
resume in the instance of a lost connection. Then the narrative episode is played. When the caller
connects again, s/he is asked to confirm which station s/he is at, and can choose to hear the first
episode once again before proceeding with the second. These options are given again at Station 3. The
user also has the option at Station 3, after following the whole narrative account, to leave a voicemail
response about their experience. S/he also receives a text-message thanking him/her for their visit.30
4.DESIGN-LEDINQUIRYWe now explore the Spomenik design process, and the configuration of the team in dialogue with our
partners and stakeholders. Positioning Spomenik as a design-led inquiry, we further describe how our
design concepts became resources for exploring and understanding the stakeholder relationships within
the setting. The features and affordances of the developing audio guide prototype engaged those
relationships in terms of practices of collective remembering, mediated by cultural tools.
Projectorigins,relationsandpartnerships
Spomenik formed part of a broader Pervasive Monuments project, designed to explore concepts of
memorialization in the digital age. It originated as a personal project by Jim Kosem of Halfman
Design. Having grown up in Cleveland, Ohio within a diaspora community of Slovenian émigrés and
their children, he had heard family-stories of the events of 1945 since he was a small child, and was
directly related to victims. The idea to develop digital support to realize his design solidified in
conversations with the first author around shared research interests. Subsequently, an interdisciplinary
project team (including Jim) was brought together to develop Spomenik. This account of the design
process (the first full paper written about Spomenik) is principally developed from the reflections of
the first two authors – but based on notes and recordings of design meetings produced during the
project by all authors.
The collaborators on Spomenik were varied in terms of their degree of involvement (ranging from
advice to content providers, from research critique to system building). Jim Kosem of Halfman Design,
self-identified in an ‘interaction design’ role, with personal and professional interest and links to the
design setting. Jim provided high-level project direction, and led the engagement with Slovenian
partner organizations. He engaged in the co-design, implementation, and field testing of the prototype.
Spomenik also involved a core group of investigators from the University of Nottingham, with
expertise in genocide education, computer science, psychology, economics, geospatial science, and
design. This group was engaged in a range of material activities that were research-oriented: project
management, design critique and documentation; prototype co-design and implementation, testing and
fieldwork. The Study Centre for National Reconciliation (SCNR) were our local ‘hosts’, organizing an
engagement with the technology prototype and connecting to Slovenian partners. The National and
University Library of Slovenia (NUK) provided content for the prototype and local information about
the Spomenik site. Gigo Design were also involved, as discussants on their bell design, and on the
interaction design research in the field.
Motivatingdesigndevelopment
Figure3.MapofSloveniaMassGraveSites
The collaborative design process was structured by group meetings and critiques over a 10-month
period (across 2009/10). At the first stage of the project, Jim generated a number of conceptual designs
for further marking and memorializing mass graves across Slovenia (see for example, Figure 3). These
concepts took the form of graphical representations of site maps, and proposals for visual data
representations to be delivered to audiences via a mobile interface (see Figure 4). Scenarios and
storyboards of user interaction supported these proposals. Jim’s concepts were presented to the project
team not just as possible design directions but also to communicate his values about designing for this
setting and his emotional connection to it, that motivated him to explore its memorialization. In
discussing his design rationale, Jim conveyed to the rest of the research team the historical political
complexity for both Slovenian nationals and diaspora, which needed to be addressed in the design
engagement. He emphasized that discussing these events remained sensitive within the Balkan states.
31 Jim’s presentations constituted a significant learning experience for the team; and he recognized an
opportunity within the project to represent and give legitimate and authorial voice to the Slovenian
diaspora in the US.
Figure4.Storyboardfromtheinitialdesign,presentedbyHalfmanDesignatanearlymeeting.From
lefttoright:Spomenikaslocation-based;asking/requestingpersonalinformation;comparinguser’s
similaritytovictimsbyasimplesimilaritymatchbetweenaprofileandknownvictiminformation
listingvictims;locatingvictims;.
Tohelpdevelopthedesignwork,Jimconductedtelephoneinterviews(snowballedsampleof
five)withSloveniandiasporamembers,connectedtohisfamilyfriendsintheUS.Hisquestions
probedunderstandingofthemassacresashistoricalevents,thereasonswhytheinterviewees
leftSlovenia,andissuesarounddiscussingandcommemorating‘whathappened’.Datagathered
fromtheinterviewswaspresentedalongsideaninitialdesignvisionatateammeeting.
Spomenikwasenvisionedatthispointas“adigitalmonument,whichreplaysandrelaysthe
eventsofCommunistpoliticalmassacresinSloveniafortheeducationandremembranceofthe
averageSloveniancitizen”(excerptfromJim’spresentation).Astoryboarddepictedalocation-
basedmobilephoneapplication(app),(Figure4).Thisappwouldprovideaninterfaceforits
userto“Findsomeoneyoumightknow”,searchingdatafromtheWhiteBooksanddisplayingthe
locationsofmatchingvictims.Inthisdesign,theuserisinvitedtoexplorenarrativeand
biographicalinformationdrawnfromtheWhiteBooks.Moreprovocatively,theinterfacealso
asked“Couldithavebeenme?”;theappaskeditsusertoprovidetheirsurnamealongwithplace
ofbirth,andtheninformedthemiftheycouldhavebeenavictimiftheyweretransposedtothe
historicalcontextofthemassacres.Assuch,thedesignsuggestedarelationalengagementwitha
memorialandempatheticconnectionwiththosememorialized.
Discussionofthisideaandinitialinterviewfindingsraisedanumberofsensitizingconcernsin
theteamthatshapedourinquiry.TheWhiteBookswererecognizedasdesigninspiration–both
intermsoftheircontentandsocialfunction.Also,thedesignspaceforconsiderationwas
refocusedfordevelopingamonumentinSlovenia,physicallysituatedor‘placed’atadistinctsite
(seeFigure5).Theteamdepartedfromtheideaofincorporatingmappingintothedesignor
markingmultiplesites(e.g.Figure3).Thisisbecauseitwasnotpossibletoaccuratelymap
recordsfromtheWhiteBookstoactualgraves,andtheinterviewsrevealedtheimportanceof
‘facticity’,andpresentinginformationaboutthemassacreswithcertainty;thediasporamembers
feltthatambiguityaboutinaccurateinformationwouldpotentiallyunderminethelegacyofthose
memorialized.Focusingononesiteassociatedwithfirst-handtestimonyofgenocide,alleviated
thisissue.Athirdconcernwastomaximizeaccessibilityformobiletechnologyuserstosupport
multi-generationalengagement.Afourthconcernwastorepresent‘bothsidesofhistory’,
includingperspectivesfromthediasporaalongsidemoreestablishedperspectivesinthecountry.
Andfinally,therewasacreativedriveacrosstheteamtoinnovateonnotionsof‘Monument’;32
andtoreconceptualizewhatamonumentcouldbeasa‘culturalvisitingexperience’supported
bypervasivedigitaltechnology.Thesesensitizingconcernsreflectedtheteam’sdeveloping
understandingofthecomplexityofrelationshipstothesetting,acknowledgingthepolitical
positioningofJim’svoicedvaluesinthedesignprocess,whichresonatedwiththevoicedvalues
ofthediasporamembershehadinterviewed.Discussionalsoraisedconsiderationofthe
ownershipofknowledgerelatedtothissetting(aboutthegenocideanditsvictims)and
considerationsofhowvaluecouldbelocated,ineconomicterms,inaproposedservicethatcould
besustainedbythosewithvestedinterests.
(5a)
(5b)
(5c)
Figure5.Storyboardfromthefirstdesign,presentedbyHalfmanDesigninFebruary.Additional
signageforexistingentrypointtoamassgrave(5a).Narrativedrivenbylocationwithmultipleway
stops(5b).Finalexperiencecoordinatedtodriveinteractionwithexistingmemorial(5c).
Keytotheproject’sdevelopmentwasafieldtriptoSloveniabyJimandtheteam’sgenocide-
educationexpert.Theyvisitedanumberofmarkedgraves(e.g.Figure5c)toidentifyand
experiencethesitefordeployingSpomenik.Furthersemi-structuredinterviewswereconducted
onthistrip,withSloveniannationalsincludinggenocidesurvivorsandpartisans(sampleof5).
Thetripalsoenabledface-to-facecoordinationwithSlovenianprojectpartnersSCNRandNUK,
andincludedavisittomeetGigo.Thosewhowerebroughtintodialoguewiththeresearchers
werepresentedwiththeconceptualdesignforSpomenik(describedabove).
People’sresponsestothisconceptprovidedtheteamwithadeeperunderstandingofthe
stakeholdercontextweweredesigningforalongwithfurtherinspirationandconstraints.We
learnedthatgenocidesurvivorsandpartnerorganizationsinSloveniawishedtotelltheirstories
tobothnationalandinternationalaudiences.TherewaskeeninterestthatSpomenikshould
servetoraisepublicawarenessofthegenocidewiththeseaudiences.Theconceptofthe
location-based,mobilephoneapplicationwasfoundtocapturetheimaginationsofinterviewees,
intermsofhowthevictims,interredintheirhiddengraves,couldberememberedthrough
recordedtestimoniesofothers,accessedatthesite.Again,thoseinterviewedexpressedconcern
andethicalquestionsabouttheuseof‘historicallyaccurate’informationinSpomenik.One
interestwastousemobiletechnologiesforengagingyoungeraudiences,andforthecontent
developedforSpomeniktobemadetransferrabletoothermemorializationsettings.Anditwas
stronglycommunicatedthattherewereversionsofhistoryinthepublicdomainpertainingtothis
settingthatneededtobenegotiatedwhendevelopingSpomenik,bothinSloveniaandinthe
diasporacommunitymorewidely.33
Followingthistrip,thedesignspacewasnarrowedtoconsidertwoconceptsthatwere
storyboardedandpresentedforteamcritique.Theteamoptedforwhatbecamethefinaldesign
(section3andFigure5above),butactuallyincorporatedideasfromtheseconddesignconcept:
toconfiguretheaudioguideforlearning,deliveringeducationalcontentwiththeaudioguide
narrative.SCNRprovidedcuratedaudiocontentforthethreenarrativeepisodesoftheguide.
AninitialworkingprototypeofSpomenikwastestedinthegardensattheNationalHolocaust
MemorialCentreinLaxton,UK.Allmembersofthecoreteamexperiencedusingtheprototype,
whichgaveusinsighttowardstheproperpacingandbodilyengagementoftheexperience.Italso
madeevidenttheroleofindividualandgroupexperiencewithinserviceuse.Reflectingonuse,a
keyfeaturewasdevelopedforthefinaldesign:ratherthan‘stayingontheline’duringtheirwalk
betweenstations(Figure5b),thevisitorcall-backfeaturewasintroduced(seenintheproposed
signageofFigure5a).Thisenabledmoreflexibilityforsocialinteractionwithothersinbetween
stations.
Figure6.DeploymentoffinalSpomenikdesignwithclassoflocalschoolchildren.
DeploymentofthefinalSpomenikprototypetookplaceatKočevskiRog(seeFigure6).The
contentprovidedbyNUKwascuratedspecificallytofitwiththetopologyofthissiteand
distancesbetweenstations.TheinterventionitselfinvolvedafurtherfieldtriptoSlovenia,bya
subsetoftheteam.Forthisdeployment,wecoordinatedwithourlocalpartnerstorecruitaclass
oflocalschoolpupils(aged15to17years)toevaluateSpomenik.Participationwasofferedasan
educationalexperienceand,again,theSpomenikdeploymentcomprisedpartofourdesign-led
inquiryaimingtogeneratenotjustuserinsightspersebutalsonewaccountsofsensemaking
aroundthehistoricalgenocideevent,mediatedbypervasivetechnologyatthegivensite.
Toreportonthequalitativedatacollectedandanalyzedfromtheevaluationeventisbeyondthe
scopeofthispaper.Wenowturntoreflectonwhatwegainedthroughourdesign-ledapproach
toinquiry,describinghowcomplexhumanrelationshipstositesofmemorializationcanbe
meaningfullyaugmentedandtransformedbycreatinganddeployingpervasive,mobile
connections.
5.UNDERSTANDINGLEGACYTHROUGHDESIGNINQUIRY
Belowwefocusonthreephenomenathatsurfacedwithrelativefrequencythroughourinquiry,
situatingthemwithinthecontextofourdesign-ledapproach,namely:howlegacyisdelivered
throughnetworksofactors;howlegacymodifiesplace;andinfrastructureforsustaininglegacy.
Legacythroughnetworksofactors
Comingbacktooneofouroriginatingargumentsistheideathatmortality(andthereinlegacy)is
maintainedthroughactiveremembranceofnetworksofothers.Accordingly,indevelopingthe
Spomenikconceptweexploredhowthehumandimensionofmemorializationwasconfiguredin
ourdesignsetting.Whilstitwasevidentfrominceptionwhowastobememorializedby
Spomenik,teamdiscussionsfrequentlycenteredontryingtounderstand‘who’thememorial
wouldserve.Questionswereraisedaroundhowvariousstakeholderswereconceptualizing
system‘users’andhowitsdesignwasdeliveringsomethingofvaluetothem.Thisledtothe
designspacebeingdynamicallyre-imaginedastheprojectprogressed.Initiallyweassumedthe
memorialwouldbeforoldergenerationSlovenianswhohadkeptthesitealiveandthoselocal
Slovenianswhowantedtorevealthisotherwisehiddenhistory.Butbasedonourearlyinsights,
webegantothinkmoreabouthowtodesigntheexperiencefordiasporacommunities,leveraging
theaffordancesofawebinterfacetoconnectthemtothesitefromadistance.Buildingina
remoteconnectiontothephysicalsiteservedtoameliorateanxietiesheldbydiasporamembers
abouttheirhistorybeingredactedfromthelandtheyusedtocallHome.
However,initsfinalconfiguration,Spomenikrespondedtodiasporaconcernstotargetschool-
agedchildren,whoitwasfeltwerevariouslyrestrictedfromdevelopinghistorical
understanding.Curiously,evenastheformfactorofthedesignchangedduringitsstagesof
development,thebiggestshiftsinscopewerebothgeographic(intermsofthecommunities
served)andtemporal(shiftingfromservinglegacyamongstthosecontemporaneoustothe
massacrestothoseseparatedbyseveralgenerations,whohavenodirectexperience).
Ourinquiryresultedinadesignthatservesanetworkofrelationshipsmediatedthrough
differentfeaturesofdigitaltechnology.Thewebelementsservedthediasporacommunityata
distanceshowingthemactiveengagementwiththememorialsetting.Theactivityinsitu
supportedtheolderlocalswhostruggledtomaintainthememorialduringtheCommunist
regime.Furtherphysicalsignagefortheservicecreatedasenseofpermanencetothememorial
and,arguably,existencetothosegenocidevictimspreviouslymadeinvisibleincertainversions
ofhistory.Fortheschoolchildren,mobiletechnologyprovidedthemwithmeanstoengagemore
deeplyandpersonallywithacontextthatmightotherwisebealienating.
ThroughrepatriateddatatoSlovenia(recordsfromthosewhohadsurvivedwithinSloveniaand
thosefromthediaspora),wehavefoundhowrememberingthegenocidevictimsultimately
becomesaprocessofactiveengagementwithinthehuman-network.Jim’sdesignvisionfor
Spomenik,andhisself-identificationwithinthediaspora,motivatedthedevelopmentofconcepts
throughemotionallychargedsense-makingaroundthehistoryofthegravesite,avolitionaldrive
towardscertainformsofrepresentationatthesite,andalegitimatevoiceasadiasporamember.
InthiscasewehaveobservedhowJimwasusingthelanguageofdesign(fromgraphicdesignto
physicalprototyping)tofosterdialogue,leadingtotheunderstandingofmultiplestakeholder
voices.
Spomenikcreatedadialogicalspaceforthestakeholderstofosteragencyintheir
memorializationpracticesenactinglegacyinvariousways.ForJimitservedhissenseofdutyto
hiscommunityandfamily.ForNUKitshowedcontemporaryrelevancetotheirwork,andfor
SNCRitraisedprofilefortheirmissiontofosteracknowledgementandreconciliationover
events.ForGigoitpotentiallyinvitedpeopletothesettingsothattheymightencountertheir
originalBelldesign.
Legacyandthemodificationofplace
Earlydesignideashadconsideredbringingthemassgravemappingdowntoan‘encounterable’
scalesothatitcouldbetransposed(andthereforeexperienced)invarioussettings.However,in
thefinaldesignwechosetoworkexclusivelywithonesite–onethatalreadyhadapartiallegacy
ofmemorialarchitecture.ThedigitallydrivenaspectsoftheSpomenikexperiencethereforehad
tositalongsideorsubtlyoverlaythelegacyinfrastructure;thedesignhadbecomesite-specific
plustherewereinherentsensitivitiesatplay.Assuchwerecognizedwewerepotentially‘re-
making’thespace34–by,forexample,manipulatingthemovementandbehaviorsofpeople
withinit.Whathadbecomerestingplaceswerebeinggiventhepotentialtobemade‘restless’
againthroughdigitalintervention,somethingwewereatpainstoavoid.35Therewasalsoan
extenttowhichwewereconsciouslyconstructingan‘uncomfortableinteraction’,36wantingto
expresssomethingofharrowingexperienceslivedthroughinasettingthathadbecomea
peacefulandrespectfulplace,whilstseriouslyconsideringtheethicalimplicationsofthe
interventionandtheaffective,educationalcontextofengagement.
ThroughtheSpomeniksystem,thesiteofKočevskiRogbecameimbuedwithanewsenseof
mortality(itbeingagravesite–arestingplace–andincidentallysomewherethatwasformerly
hiddenandhopedtobeforgotten).Butatthesametimethetemporalboundsofhumanmortality
andconcomitantlythelegacyofmemoriesinvestedinthesitewerereimaginedbythenewly
persistentdigitaltraceofthephysicalactivityatthesite.Equally,thedisembodiedvoicesinthe
wirebecameembeddedandthis,tosomeextent,providedthesevoiceswithanewlegacy,a
corporeality,throughatransformedhybriddigital-physicalsetting.Assuch,Spomenikconnected
culturesandcommunitiesofpeopledistributedacrossbothspaceandtime,beyondthehuman
lifespan.
Infrastructureforsustaininglegacy
InourdesignworkforSpomenik,weencounteredsomespecificchallengesaroundmaintaining
legacy,notleastbecauseofthepotentiallycontestednatureofthishistoricsetting,37butalsoby
virtueofthenetworkofstakeholdersandtheircompetingvoiceswithinthememorialization
process.38Therewerelegitimateargumentsoverwhosehistorywasbeingaccountedfor.The
natureoftransplanting‘memories’thathadbeenrehearsedbyadiasporacommunityintothe
landscapeofanothercountry–onethathadpursuedanalternativeaccountofhistoryfor60
years–inevitablyraisedtensions.Thestakeholdershadtonegotiatethesetensions(itbeingof
farlessconsequenceforadiasporacommunitytomakeprovocativestatementsthanforalocal
government-fundedinstitution).Theseissuesbroughttotheforethelegitimacyofwhocanenact
memorialization.WithJimbeingamemberofthediasporacommunity,aSlovenianspeaker,and
sometimeresident,itfeltappropriateforhimtoleadourendeavours.Ironicallyhowever,itisan
evidentfeatureofmortalitythatourlegaciesarenotourown,theyareinthemakingofthose
whodealwiththemafterourdeaths;theinterpretationofeventsisthereforemediatedbythe
voicesofothers.39
Designinginfrastructuretoscaffolddiscussionanddialogue40wasfoundtoofferclearbenefits
(thathavebeennoted),butalsoarangeof‘designdangers’.Forinstance,asourteam’seducation
expertpointedout,exposingsystemusers(suchasschoolstudents)toethicalquestionsmightfit
wellwithwhatwasknownabouteffectivegenocide-educationpractices.However,asystem
supportingdiscussion,dialogueandthereconcilingofdifferentperspectivesisopento
subversion(forinstance,fearsregardingdenialofthemassacres,hatespeech,modern-day
partisanattitudes,etc.).
Onefinalconsiderationisthelegacyoftheserviceitselfanditseconomicsustainabilitypost-
project.Theresearchteamdiscussedhandoveroftheprototypewithkeystakeholders
(NUK/SNCR),andinvestigationsweremadeaboutbalancingthecostsoftheserviceand
responsibilitiesofownership,financialinvestment,andmaintenance.Spomenikhaspotentialto
beconfiguredasasocialenterprise.Alargelystandalonemobileapplicationwouldrequire
maintenance,supportanddataconnectivity,whereasanautomatedtelephonyserviceworks
anywherewithaphonesignalandcouldgenerateenoughincometosustainitself,atleastforas
longastheserviceremainstobeusedbyvisitorsandvaluedbystakeholders.Bytakingtheform
ofapervasiveserviceratherthanaphysicalmonumentliketheGigobelldesign(Figute1b),
Spomenikraisesnewdesignconsiderationspertainingtotheinherentmortalityofsystem
elementsandtheirlegacy,andtherequirementformotivatedhumanstosustaininterestin
maintainingthemonumenttokeepitalive.
ConcludingDiscussion:OnCollectiveMemory
InclosingwereflectuponthenotionsofcollectivememoryraisedintheIntroduction.Asour
threethemeshaveshown,withinthisdesign-ledinquiryweexploredmortalitythroughthelens
oflegacyandtheagencyofvariousactorstomanipulateit.Wehavealsoseenthewaysinwhich
perspectivesonmortalityandlegacyaremediatedbyculturaltoolsthatweengagewith(e.g.
relatedtolanguage,history,politics)andalsothatwegenerate(e.g.websites,audio-guides,
visitingexperiences).ThisresonatesstronglywithWertsch’snotionof‘culturaltoolmediation’in
theproductionofcollectivememoryandreinforcesthenotionthatmortalityisdeeplyconnected
toremembering,anditisthisaspectthatpeoplemostreadilyseektomanipulatewhenenacting
legacythroughperformingactsofremembranceandmemorialization.ThedesignofSpomenik
hasledustothinkmoredeeplyabouttheimplicationsofdesigningmemorialsforothersthat
utilizedigitaltechnologies.Digitallayeringoffersupopportunitiestoexpandthenetworkof
connectedstakeholders,configuringthemincertainwaysandmediatingtheiraccesstothe
memorial.TheSpomenikprojectledustointerveneinandmanipulatephysicalspacesin
emotionallyengagingways,offeringnewopportunitiesforlegacymakingandreflection.Allof
thesepossibilitieshowever,haveuniqueandinterrelateddependencies,whichoffersubstantial
challengestothedesignerandwhichcannotbeaddressedlightly.Theyrequiresubstantial
sensitivitytotheexpandingnetworkofhumanrelationshipsinthememorializationcontextand
acommitmenttoexplorethemultiplicityofvoicesthatconstitutecollectivememory.
Acknowledgements
ThisworkwasfundedbyRCUK,(HorizonDigitalEconomyResearch)EP/G065802/1.The
secondauthorisfundedbytheLeverhulmeTrust(ECF-2012-642).
1BernardSchumacher,DeathandMortalityinContemporaryPhilosophy(CambridgeUniversityPress,2010)2NigelLlewellyn,TheArtofDeath.(London:ReaktionBooksLtd,1991)3AvrilMaddrellandJamesD.Sidaway,Deathscapes:SpacesforDeath,Dying,MourningandRemembrance.(Routledge,2010)4FordiscussionseeBjornNansen,MichaelArnold,MartinGibbs,andTamaraKohn,“TheRestlessDeadintheDigitalCemetery,”inDigitalDeath:MortalityandBeyondintheOnlineAge,ed.ChristopherM.MoremanandA.DavidLewis(SantaBarbara:Praeger,2014),111-1245Foracritiqueofthispositionsee:ChrisElsden,DavidKirk,andAbigailDurrant,“AQuantifiedPast:TowardDesignforRememberingWithPersonalInformatics,”Human–ComputerInteraction31,no.6(2016):518-5576JamesWertsch,VoicesofCollectiveRemembering,(CambridgeUniversityPress,2002)7DavidMiddleton,andKyokoMurakami,“CollectivityandAgencyinRememberingandReconciliation,”Outlines.CriticalPracticeStudies5,no.1(2003):16-308 Ibid.
9MichaelMassimi,WilliamOdom,RichardBanks,andDavidKirk,"MattersofLifeandDeath:LocatingtheEndofLifeinLifespan-OrientedHCIResearch,"inProceedingsofACMConferenceonHumanFactorsinComputingSystems(CHI'11).(ACM,2011),987-996.10MichaelMassimiandAndreaCharise,Dying,"Death,andMortality:TowardsThanatosensitivityinHCI,"inExtendedAbstractsofACMConferenceonHumanFactorsinComputingSystems(CHIEA'09).(ACM,2009),2459-246811WilliamOdom,RichardHarper,AbigailSellen,DavidKirk,RichardBanks,“PassingOn&PuttingtoRest:UnderstandingBereavementintheContextofInteractiveTechnologies,”inProceedingsofACMConferenceonHumanFactorsinComputingSystems(CHI'10).(ACM,2010),1831-184012 William Odom, Richard Banks, David Kirk, Richard Harper, Sian Lindley and Abigail Sellen, “Technology Heirlooms? Considerations for Passing Down and Inheriting Digital Materials,” in Proceedings of ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '12). (ACM, 2012), 337- 346 13 Wendy Moncur and David Kirk, “An Emergent Framework for Digital Memorials,” in Proceedings of the ACM Designing Interactive Interfaces (DIS’14), (ACM, 2014), 965–974 14ElizabethHallamandJennyHockey,Death,MemoryandMaterialCulture.(Oxford:Berg,2001)15JedBrubaker,LynnDombrowski,AnitaGilbert,NafiriKusumakaulikaandGillianHayes,(2014)“StewardingaLegacy:ResponsibilitiesandRelationshipsintheManagementofPost-MortemData,”inProceedingsofACMConferenceonHumanFactorsinComputingSystems(CHI’14),(ACM,2014),4157-416616WendyMoncur,“TheEmotionalWellbeingofResearchers:ConsiderationsforPractice,”inProceedingsofACMConferenceonHumanFactorsinComputingSystems(CHI’13),(ACM,2013),1883–189017BatyaFriedmanandLisaNathan,“Multi-lifespanInformationSystemDesign:AResearchInitiativefortheHCICommunity,”inProceedingsofACMConferenceonHumanFactorsinComputingSystems(CHI’10),(ACM,2010),2243-224618LizSevcenko,“SitesofConscience:NewApproachestoConflictedMemory,”MuseumInternational62,no.1-2(2010):20-2519ShaulKrakover,“TheHolocaustRemembranceSiteofYadVashemWelcomesVisitors,”InternationalResearchinGeographicalandEnvironmentalEducation11,no.4,(2010):359-36220ZacharyBeckstead,GabrielTwose,EmilyLevesque-GottliebandJuliaRizzo,“CollectiveRememberingthroughtheMaterialityandOrganizationofWarMemorials.”JournalofMaterialCulture16,no.2(2011):193-21321AnnaPetersson,“TheProductionofaMemorialPlace:MaterialisingExpressionsofGrief.”In(Ed)AvrilMaddrellandJamesD.Sidaway,Deathscapes:SpacesforDeath,Dying,MourningandRemembrance.(Routledge,2010),141-15922BarryBrown,StuartReevesandScottSherwood,(2011)“IntotheWild:ChallengesandOpportunitiesforFieldTrialMethods,”inProceedingsofACMConferenceonHumanFactorsinComputingSystems(CHI’11),(ACM,2011),1657-166623LillyIrani,JanetVertesi,PaulDourish,KavitaPhilipandRebeccaE.Grinter,“PostcolonialComputing:ALensonDesignandDevelopment,”inProceedingsofACMConferenceonHumanFactorsinComputingSystems(CHI’10),(ACM,2010),1311-132024Seeforexample,PaulAoki,RebeccaGrinter,AmyHurst,MargaretSzymanski,JamesThorntonandAllisonWoodruff,“SottoVoce:ExploringtheInterplayofConversationandMobileAudioSpaces,”inProceedingsofACMConferenceonHumanFactorsinComputingSystems(CHI’02),(ACM,2002),431-43825 Through SCNR we also collaborated with the National University Library of Slovenian and the national poet. 26 The account represents a narrative of a survivor of the massacre that took place there. The site holds some c.2200 dead, the account itself was generated by one of the five to seven survivors. 27TheseeventsaredescribedindetailinJohnCorsellisandMarcusFerrar,Slovenia1945:MemoriesofdeathandSurvivalAfter1945.(I.B.Tauris,2015).ThesitewechosetoworkwithwaspickedbySCNRasitwasassumedtocontainremainsofprimarilyethnicallyGerman,Sloveniannationalists,howevermostoftheSlovenianmassgravesitescontainremainsofvariousmixesofCroatians,Serbians,Montenegrans,Albanians,Bosnians,Ukrainians/Russians(Cossacksgenerally),Germans,ItaliansandHungarians.28 The content was sourced by the National Library in Slovenia and had likely been previously archived by the Slovenian diaspora community in Argentina. 29Thesystememploysacloud-basedtelephonyservice,Tropo,inordertosupportthesevariousfunctionalities.ThescriptsemploythefollowingfunctionalitysupportedbyTropo:theprogrammatichandlingofvoicecallsandgeneralcallcontrol(e.g.,endingacall),numberbuttoninput,outboundSMS,andvoicecallrecording.Inthisway,Tropoprovidesasimpleinterfacetothepotentiallycomplexaspectsoftelephony-basedapplications. 30 In addition to audio-guide handling, the system also provides a website front-end that presents online information about the grave site, and displays the number of visitors to the physical site (as logged via calls to the system), along with any recorded responses by callers. 31 That is, events designated as crimes against humanity 32 This moved away from discussions of statuary and the visual arts in memorialization, as presented in Llewellyn (1991). 33 And, of course, through other regions in the former Yugoslavia affected by these events memorialized. 34PaulDourish,“Re-space-ingPlace:"Place"and"Space"TenYearsIn,”inProceedingsofthe2006ConferenceonComputersupportedCooperativeWork(CSCW'06).(ACM,2006):299-308
35 To use the language of Nansen et al. 2014 36SteveBenford,ChrisGreenhalgh,GabrielaGiannachi,BrendanWalker,JoeMarshallandTomRodden,“UncomfortableInteractions,”inProceedingsofACMConferenceonHumanFactorsinComputingSystems(CHI’12),(ACM,2012):2005-201437 Sevcenko (2010) 38 Middleton and Murukami (2003) 39 Ibid. 40 Wertsch (2002)