Care Makes the Fragments Stronger: Navigating Affects in Colonial Memoryscapes

Monuments built to celebrate colonial times can harm. Harm those who live around them, those who know their history, and those whose history has been forgotten. The contentious nature of these monuments has brought them into public discourse, with activists advocating for their physical removal. In light of these developments, it is crucial to analyse the intricate interplay between monuments, the physical spaces they inhabit, and the inhabitants of these spaces. To explore these issues, the article draws on a creative research project carried out in Martinique and Saint Lucia, exploring the affective landscapes within which monuments are embedded. The article reflects on the use of creative methodologies to study the multifaceted meanings embedded within colonial memoryscapes, employing care as a unifying principle to reconcile diverse perspectives. By integrating personal narratives and emotional connections into historical analysis, this study fosters a paradigm shift towards redefining what memory-work is and what forms it can take. The findings of this study shed light on strategies for decolonising public spaces, pushing the boundaries of conventional academic scholarship, and enhancing our comprehension of the complex interplay between memory, place, people and geographies of affect. Gall cofebau a adeiladwyd i ddathlu cyfnodau trefedigaethol niweidio. Niweidio'r rhai sy'n byw o'u cwmpas, y rhai sy'n gwybod eu hanes, a'r rhai y mae eu hanes wedi'i anghofio. Mae natur ddadleuol y cofebau hyn wedi eu dwyn i sylw’r cyhoedd, gydag ymgyrchwyr yn dadlau dros eu tynnu i lawr. O ystyried y datblygiadau hyn, mae'n hanfodol dadansoddi'r rhyngweithio cymhleth rhwng cofebau, eu lleoliadau corfforol, a thrigolion y mannau hyn. I drin a thrafod y materion hyn, mae'r erthygl yn tynnu ar brosiect ymchwil creadigol a gynhaliwyd ym Martinique a Saint Lucia, gan archwilio’r lleoliadau hynny y mae cofebau’n effeithio arnyn nhw. Mae'r erthygl yn myfyrio ar y defnydd o fethodolegau creadigol i astudio'r ystyron amlochrog sydd wedi'u hymgorffori mewn tirweddau o atgofion trefedigaethol, gan ddefnyddio ‘gofal’ fel egwyddor all uno a chymodi safbwyntiau amrywiol. Drwy gyfuno naratifau personol a chysylltiadau emosiynol yn ddadansoddiadau hanesyddol, mae'r astudiaeth hon yn meithrin newid sylfaenol tuag at ailddiffinio gwaith cof a’i ffurfiau. Mae canfyddiadau'r astudiaeth hon yn taflu goleuni ar strategaethau i ddad-drefedigaethu mannau cyhoeddus, i wthio ffiniau ysgolheictod academaidd confensiynol, a gwella ein dealltwriaeth o'r rhyngweithio cymhleth rhwng atgofion, lleoedd, pobl a daearyddiaethau y mae hyn yn effeithio arnyn nhw.