Introduction
This paper discusses the contents of the 9/11 memorial exhibition. The discussion will include the use of different elements by artists to express their feelings about the event. The 9/11 memorial exhibition took place on March 2, 2013. The memorial was dedicated to people who lost their lives in the event. In the event, a metal piece of the World Trade Center was featured. The metal piece was smashed to the ground during the disaster. The metal piece of the World Trade Center was surrounded with ceramic tiles. The purpose of this artwork was to honor the lives of those who died in the attacks.
Analysis
The exhibition provided an excellent display of different art works. In the event, different artists brought their artwork from different parts of the United States. The artwork consisted of paintings, videos, installations, sculptures, and others. The memorial site has been open for a year now. The most beautiful display at the exhibition was two pools that symbolized towers. The pools are manmade and considered to the largest mad made waterfalls in the United States. The pools are surrounded with Bronze panels. The names of victims have been inscribed in the bronze panels. I was so engrossed in the sound of the water that it becomes the backdrop to my walk. When observing the scene, I noticed that the flowing water was illuminated by the Sun. The sunlight illuminated the entire scene and increased its beauty.
Memorial was created in memory of those who were killed in incident of Sept. 11, 2001 in the World Trade Center. Two water bodies on the site of the Twin Towers and their surrounding oak forest form the heart of the newly erected World Trade Center in New York and provide a place for deep reflection and memory of those terrible moments in American history. Object 8-acre (3.2 ha) is located in downtown Manhattan, in one of the liveliest and most densely populated urban business centers in the world. The project was coordinated at many levels, has been studied very carefully and with great odds. Numerous comments officials influenced the final design and opinions into account the victims' families, customers, critics and the public. The design includes two water bodies on the site of the destroyed buildings twins. The scale gives an idea of the terrible catastrophe losses in September 2001. The names of the victims of 1993 and 2001 are engraved on the perimeter.
There were also other items for display at the exhibition. The items included sections of buckled steel from the building. The memorial also exhibited personal items from the rubble. The site also displayed the frame of one of the windows of the plane from the sites. The view emphasized the intensity of the event. After looking at the artwork and displays, I realized that the intensity of the chaos and panic during the event.
My visit to the 9/11 memorial was truly a touching experience. I believe that the 9/11 memorial was a touching tribute to the event. During the event, the water splashing on skin communicated a sense of peacefulness that will always remain in the minds of visitors. The memorial was particularly an emotional experience for the family members and friends of people who lost their lives in the attack. For the friends and family members of victims, a dignified site has been designed. The site communicates a sense of intimate communication with the loved ones. The site features names of people who lost their lives. The water splashing was a great artwork at the exhibition. I felt elated by seeing the names of people who were being remembered. The splashing of water made visitors realize that those people will live forever in the memories of their loved ones.
The memorials of the World Trade Center were two reflecting pools. The reflecting pools were used to refer to the original twin towers. The use of reflecting pools was also the great artistic work since it communicated a sense of what the site was.
The security at the memorial exhibition was very strict. The environment of the site was very beautiful and peaceful. The site exhibited the hard work and efforts of artists, architectures, and several other contributors. The memorial is made of trees, waterfalls, and green grass area. At the base of waterfall is the floor of the building. The site shows different people who died on each floor. I found this view very emotional and sad but at the same time, it was very factual. The row of trees was very long. When I walked to the South Pool, the first thing that captured my attention was the sound of rushing water. The water flow starts from under the names and cascades down to the pool. The water then cascades to the central square. The names of people who list their names have been crafted in a beautiful manner. The artists and architects have used dignified fonts.
The plaza between the South and North towers was always vibrant because of concerns, carts, and benches. The centerpiece located at that some was the Sphere. The Sphere is a sculpture that was created by Fritz Koenig. The Sphere was found from the rumble and debris after the event. However, it is located at a distance from the Memorial. According to my perceptions, the Sphere should have been a part of the Memorial.
During my visit, I also visited a gift shop offering Memorial Pencil, Tee shirt, or other items. The shop also offers key chains. The items displayed at the gift shop developed a sense of nostalgia among visitors. The display and sales of those items has allowed visitors to associate themselves with the people who have suffered in some way. The artists used very beautiful styles to express the emotions of people. The contents of the exhibition were a true picture of the emotions of people who lost their loved ones as well as the emotions of a million of people who witnessed the event. At the same time, the exhibition also communicated a sense of people in order to make visitors realize that the disaster is over now (Doss, pp. 27).
Some of the contents of the exhibition were very emotional. For instance, on the 49th Floor of the South Tower, a sentence says that Vanessa Long Langer and her unborn child. This made me realize that each victim had its own story. At the site of 9/11, there are two areas of remembrance. Each area occupies massive footprints of the World Trade Center. At the site, water is cascading down each side of the square.
In the site, as many as 400 trees have been planted including White Oak, Sweet Gum, and others. The place has been built far away from the noises and hassles of the city. Overall, the artists have made great contributions to make the place sanctuary for visitors. There is a Callery Pear Tree at the site, which is surrounded by a fence. The fence supports the trunk and branches. The tree attracts the attention of every visitor and is the most photographed tree. The most important aspect associated with this tree is that it is the only tree to survive the attacks.
During my visit, a plethora of emotions came over me. When I stood next to the 9/11 memorial, my mood became somber. I paid respect to those who lost their lives as well as to their families. The museum has several antiquities belonging to victims and workers. Those items are a somber reminder to the horrible event and its impact on the lives of people. During my visit to the exhibition, my thoughts were drifted to the families and friends of thousands of victims. The operation system of the exhibition provides support to the operations of the memorial. The support solution of the exhibition provides robust support. The memorial has the capacity to manage a large volume of visitors (Doss, pp. 27).
The winning design of the event is called Reflecting Absence. Michael Arad is the architect who has successfully communicated this feeling at the site. The site reflects the absence of people who lost their lives in the event. When I stood before The Wall, I saw endless names. In the wall, I also saw a reflection of myself.
Conclusion
It is difficult to explain the way I felt when I visit the 9/11 Memorial. I had mixed feelings during my trop. I felt sympathetic, hurt, and terrified for the loss of lives; however, at the same time I felt hopeful and peaceful. The visit to the 9/11 Memorial changed my life. I could not hold my tears back when I saw the mementos in the form of hats, watches, and other reminders of the victims. The pictures and objects were reminders that someone was there when the disaster occurred. The event made visitors realize that many lives were lost in the attack.
The best way to recall the visit to the Memorial is the pictures I took. I captured the nice view of the green area and the view of the Tower. For me, the visit to the 9/11 Memorial was a beautiful experience. The Memorial communicated both beauty and strength at the same time.
Although I did not personally know any of the victims, I felt personally connected to all those people who lost their lives. I also felt connected to the friends, family members, and acquaintances of the victims. The visit to the 9/11 Memorial has affected me to a great deal. The visit made me realize that the world witnessed a horrible incident on that day. The images of the site will remain with me for the rest of my life. I will always remember what a magical place the World Trade Center was. The place had always communicated a sense of peace and calmness. The disaster that took place on 9/11 was an attempt to sabotage the peace. However, the art and architecture displayed at the 9/11 Memorial has communicated the message that the place will always communicate the message of peace through the waterfalls and the noise of cascading water.
Works Cited
Doss E. Remembering 9/11: Memorials and Cultural Memory. OAH Magazine of History [serial online]. July 2011;25(3): pp. 27
