Memorials have become increasingly relevant in societies seeking to come to terms with the past of mass violence and there is a growing body of academic scholarship that scrutinises the politics of memory in divided societies. This article takes a different approach to the politics of memorials: it does not focus on what is remembered, that is, to what a memorial testifies, but how memory at a memorial (supposedly) takes place through the aesthetic strategies put to work. It contributes to emerging literature which explores aspects of performativity and the politics of affect. The objective is, however, to take it one step further by not only shifting attention to studying the engagement with, experience and performance at these sites but also to the politics of the aesthetics choice that promote this engagement. To do so, it differentiates between three aesthetic styles of memorials: imposing, counter and affirmative memorials that were all developed at a particular time in order to pursue particular political and social objectives. The current phenomenon, affirmative memorials, holds that there is a duty to remember and is firmly embedded in efforts to build peace, advance liberal norms and contribute to transitional justice. Pursuing this strategy is however at odds with the aesthetic style of these affirmative memorials that is derived from counter memorials and celebrates plurality and openness rather than wanting to affirm one message.

在寻求接受大规模暴力过去的社会中，纪念碑变得越来越重要，并且有越来越多的学术研究机构审查分裂社会中的记忆政治。这篇文章对纪念馆的政治采取了不同的方法：它不关注被记住的东西，即纪念馆所证明的内容，而是纪念馆的记忆（据称）是如何通过实施的美学策略发生的。它有助于探索表演性和情感政治方面的新兴文学。然而，我们的目标是更进一步，不仅将注意力转移到研究这些地点的参与、体验和表现上，而且还转移到促进这种参与的美学选择的政治上。为此，它区分了纪念馆的三种美学风格：气势、反面和肯定式纪念馆，它们都是在特定时间发展起来的，以追求特定的政治和社会目标。目前的现象，即肯定性纪念碑，认为有责任记住并牢固地植根于建设和平、推进自由规范和为过渡正义做出贡献的努力中。然而，追求这种策略与这些源自反纪念并庆祝多元化和开放性而不是想要肯定一个信息的肯定纪念馆的美学风格不一致。肯定性纪念碑，认为有责任铭记并坚定地植根于建设和平、推进自由规范和促进过渡时期正义的努力中。然而，追求这种策略与这些源自反纪念并庆祝多元化和开放性而不是想要肯定一个信息的肯定纪念馆的美学风格不一致。肯定纪念碑认为，有责任铭记并坚定地植根于建设和平、推进自由规范和促进过渡时期正义的努力中。然而，追求这种策略与这些源自反纪念并庆祝多元化和开放性而不是想要肯定一个信息的肯定纪念馆的美学风格不一致。