Melvin Charney's Architectural Archaeology of Collective Memory

Key facts

• Melvin Charney constructs over existing buildings or sites.
• His constructions reveal the sedimentation of images beneath places.
• His work is described as an excavation of collective memory.
• The article was published in artpress in May 1995.
• Charney's practice uncovers hidden layers of meaning.
• The title calls him an explorer of collective memory.
• His approach is archaeological rather than covering up.
• The work offers surprises to viewers.