The memorial “The Tactile of History” is a commemorative site and link between the present day and the tragic events of history – the repressions committed by the Soviet occupying regime against the Latvian people. It transforms historical testimonies about deportations into powerful symbols: a Latvian blanket (human pain), a reproduction of a freight car (deportation echelons), and a handkerchief sewn by Mērija Stakle (the scale of the tragedy of the Soviet regime). The memorial is enhanced by a special sound composition, which serves as a living link between the harsh past and the present. The memorial site forms a single complex with the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia in the centre of the Old Town of Riga.
Jury comment: “An extremely timely and powerful intervention in a public setting. Its composition, scale and dual aspect address its city context perfectly”.
