Luanda: Angolan architect and visual artist Fineza Teta on Thursday highlighted the role of art, culture, and technology in preserving the collective memory of the political conflicts experienced in Angola. The specialist was speaking to the press at the end of an inspection visit by President Joo Louren§o to the construction site of the future Memorial, a project forming part of the national reconciliation process led by the Commission for the Implementation of the Reconciliation Plan in Memory of Victims of Political Conflicts (CIVICOP).
According to Angola Press News Agency, Fineza Teta described the future Memorial to Victims of Political Conflicts as a space for educating and raising awareness among younger generations. She explained that the Memorial's design seeks to convey the country's history through a combination of art, design, technology, and architecture, with the aim of preserving the memory of the victims and helping younger generations learn about past events. "Everything brings culture, education and, above all, awareness of our history. History must be acknowledged," she said.
The visual artist emphasized that the space was designed to represent a reborn Angola, based on the appreciation of culture and the preservation of the memory of its ancestors. Among the Memorial's artistic elements, Fineza Teta highlighted the work entitled 'Eternal Alliance', which, she explained, represents the embrace between two brothers, symbolizing the unity and reconciliation of Angolans. The work is represented by two human figures covered by a mantle symbolizing the country's ethnic and cultural diversity. "It is the embrace of two brothers who are covered by a blanket, which is the ethnic mantle that covers the entire nation. We are all represented there," she explained.
The artist said the artistic composition seeks to portray Angola's cultural diversity through elements associated with the country's different regions and ethnolinguistic groups. Inside the structure, a museum and chronological section is planned, dedicated to the period between 1975 and 2002, with references to significant events in the country's political history.
Fineza Teta added that the exhibition is expected to address events such as the proclamation of National Independence, 27 May, and other episodes considered relevant to understanding the political conflicts and their consequences for the population. She stressed that the aim is to present these events in a way that preserves their memory while encouraging reflection on the mistakes of the past. At the end of the tour is the mulembeira, an element which, according to the specialist, has a symbolic meaning associated with the memory of those who have passed away but remain present through collective remembrance. "The purpose of passing on knowledge is to ensure that we do not make the same mistakes of the past again," she stressed.
The Memorial to Victims of Political Conflicts was conceived as a space for reconciliation, forgiveness, and appreciation of Angolan cultural identity, inspired by the collective memory of the conflicts experienced in the country between 1975 and 2002.
