THE PAST IS AROUND THE CORNER: EXPLORING THE USES OF THE PAST IN PUBLIC SPACES

Abstract

Narratives about the past do not only exist in museums, heritage sites and books. Our streets are crowded by images and words that evoke cultures, events and figures extracted directly from history, which are adapted to social, political and economic interests. As a consequence, public space constitutes a privileged scenario for studying contemporary uses of the past. The aim of this text is to talk about the role of the past in people’s daily life, through the study of its expression in the public space —street and business names, heritage sites, commemorative monuments, street art, advertisements, architecture, commemorations, etc.— and to offer some methodological statements for its analysis. The implementation of this kind of study will serve to create a better understanding of the meanings of the past in the present, and what they imply for people.