Don’t touch to symbols !
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In March 2009, the Iron Lady will celebrate its 120 anniversary. No, I’m not speaking about Margaret Thatcher’s forefather but about the Eiffel Tour. Next year, the most popular Parisian icon in the world will celebrate more than a century of success, after a hard start. But don’t we say about the greatest that their beginnings should be overwhelming?
Edith Piaf also was resented and scorned at before being caught in the turmoil of success and adored by the crowds who are still dragging her into the whirl of posthumous glory. If there is something definitely sacred in our national heritage, it really is symbols.
The Eiffel Tour is not only the greatest symbol of French heritage, it is also the most popular.
So, what a surprise to hear that her fatherland is thinking about mutilating it as a gift?! News or rumour, a contest would have been organised by the City of Paris at the beginning of the year so as to get our good old lady “dressed up” for 2009, just as if she had to powder her nose… The winner would be the Serero architect office. If you want to have a look at the project, click there but the Parisian team already invites you to react :
Since Europe has spoken a lot about its symbols with the possible introduction of five of them in the Lisbon treaty (11 member States refused to approve the non constraining text joined to the treaty, among which France), do you think that the cultural markers should evolve with the society they are living in? Or, on the contrary, icons don’t they participate in the collective memory, so loving them would be the best way to pay them tribute ever?