We Remember/We Forget is a monument to the fault lines in our personal and collective memories. Those faults appear in how we choose to remember, how we alter memories, and what we chose to forget due to indifference. This artwork is created by bonding sand collected from the Kaw River in Northeastern Kansas. The sand carries memories of long lost mountains, and, just as ancient mountains and monuments vanish due to weather or the acts of mankind, this outer sculpture will eventually erode back to a pile of sand. There is a difference in this monument, however. The erosion will reveal an inner artwork of steel fabricated books. The book sculpture serves to remind us that we do have resources less mutable than memory—we do have ways to hold on to a closer truth. It is up to us, however, to seek these out in a brave and open way.

Location:

Washington Square Park
Pershing and Main St.

Bio:

John Hachmeister is an artist, art professor, and art activist-caring for and promoting the appreciation of grassroots art sites. He lives in a rural setting but works in his studio buildings in Lawrence, Kansas. He has created public artwork in the United Kingdom, Peoples Republic of China and numerous locations in the United States.

website | kuhachmeister.com