How semiotic walks can enhance our perception and observation

Last week in Dublin, we visited the Famine Memorial for a semiotic walk after our workshop.

The Great Famine has a very profound meaning in the history of Ireland. Between 1845-1852, Ireland faced a period of mass starvation and disease leading to a national criss.

A dominant cause of the famine was located in infected potato crop followed by starvation, deaths across the country and mass migration that drove the Irish people to migrate to other parts of the world. I didn’t realise until I visited the EPIC (The Irish Emigration Museum) that there are more Irish people who live outside of Ireland than those who live within the country.

This particular memorial built alongside the river captures a powerful story of Irish Emigration. In the pictures, you will see 7 feeble looking men and women emigrants walking towards the Dublin Harbour. Their gestures tell us everything about their emotional and social state. Notice also a dog in this memorial.

Memorials are built with a lot of attention to detail. There is always a hidden meaning in memorials that a touristic walker (in a rush to see more) cannot always find. One must slow down, observe in awareness and learn to ask questions about everything from the orientation, direction, inclination, height, width, texture, colour, gestures, place, space, ritual and the language used to describe the memorial. Put simply, everything is significant.

As we walked, we discussed a lot between us as a group, and we learned how each one of us brings a different perspective to it. The next day, I came back to observe the memorial. This time I noticed something new. I observed that those 7 men and women along with the dog could only be seen together if I stood in the centre and viewed them from behind. Otherwise, some of them would be obscured from my line of sight. (see the last image)

There lies a symbolic message. The design invites us to follow these men and women. When we follow them, we can feel their suffering. And it’s only when we feel what they have been through, we learn from them.

A powerful reminder that in observing high-risk activities, we must learn to slow down and engage with all your senses. You will begin to see so much more.