The 6' x 6' Library
(Proposal for a Covid-19 Memorial)
Color pencil on paper
A conversation.
-Is it a building?
-Yes, it is a library building that would be in constant growth.
-Why a library?
-Because a library is the paradigm of memory.
-But is it a monument?
-Yes, it is a public monument.
-Is this the final shape or size?
-No, the definitive shape is not decided.
-What are the small cubes?
-They are spaces on a 6’ by 6’ grid, each one with a bookshelf.
-Why do they have these dimensions?
-Their measure is based on the CDC’s safety distance guidance of 6 feet separation.
-How many of these spaces will there be?
-We don’t know, the books and spaces will probably keep growing.
-Shouldn’t monuments be made out of marble or bronze?
-It all depends on how you want to remember things or events.
-I just want to remember the ones we have lost and how we lost them.
-This library would a celebration of what they read.
-Is the memorial the walls or the books?
-It is the relationship between books, people and memory.
-Where would the books come from?
-They will be donated by the community.
-What kind of books will there be?
-Books based on the memories of the ones we have lost.
-How will they be classified?
-Randomly.
-I believe the mixture of books will generate some sort of interesting chaos.
-A kind of knowledge, a living entity.
-To read is to remember.