Here the central concept becomes that of interdicted representation and its relationship with the idea, valid for all arts and thus also for the discussion on monuments. Interdicted representation is here meant not in a negative sense, but in the open and absolutely positive one of suspended. This adjective interdicted, or suspended, has precise connotations about the relationship of the representation itself with the idea; with the idea that it, in some way, proposes to present, or better, to re-present – the linguistic sign of the dash which isolates and divides the re from presentation (re-praesentatio) is in fact exactly that which cracks, positively, the word representation, starting from its very inner being: indeed it means a not wanting to coincide directly, immediately with the idea: its not exhausting it, but, as we will see, frequenting it with a lag.
Lecture by Matteo Cavalleri, “A monument to the possible”, Research week, 30.10.2010
It can’t however be immediately a reference to the idea. The essence is in the semantic power of that re-, which is not reiterative (first we are not dealing with a repetition) but frequentative. Here lies the added power, specific of the re-presentation compared to the idea. The representation frequents the idea, it presents it through a sensitive underlining, certainly it establishes a relationship with it. But it must maintain the powerful humility of not presenting it without remains, of not presenting it period. It is only in this way that the representation maintains its own faculty of evocation, allowing one to think about the idea.
Lecture by Matteo Cavalleri, “A monument to the possible”, Research week, 30.10.2010