Activists’ interventions in the heritage spectacle during the Macedonian protests of 2016

Abstract

Protest and memory activism have been shown to have the potential to demystify the heritage spectacle through de-monumentalisation and de-contextualisation of the dominant and normalised narrative of the past, with the purpose to oppose a mnemonic hegemony and open the space for a cultural and social reimagining of both the past and the present. The protests that took place in North Macedonia in 2016 and the #Protestiram movement are examples of social movements in which newly installed cultural-historical objects and statues served as a canvas upon which protesters could express their socio-political motivations and demands. Protests offer a moment to re-examine given structures and routines and often represent the beginning of a new reality that refuses to accept the existing ‘stable scheme’ as normal. My interest in this article lies in exploring the means by which memory and heritage, as presented in the public space, influence meaning-making not only in a contemporary context but also in projecting a certain future – and thus how they can provoke resistance and revolt. In the context of the Macedonian protests from 2016, I look at how statues and newly produced megalomaniacal heritage bear witness to the social struggle during the protests. A further avenue of enquiry seeks to reveal the ultimate goal of these acts of de-monumentalisation and re-contextualisation of heritage as used by the protesters: what did they hope to achieve? My approach combines both the political logic of hegemonic relationships of Laclau and Debord’s concept of spectacle and the protest as an interruption of that spectacle. The use of the term ‘spectacle’ here suggests there is little actual history at play. In my analysis, I also apply concepts that have been used in memory studies in relation to social movements, including hegemonic memories, exclusive remembrance, counter memories, counter monuments and memories from below.