Heritage destruction in light of critical heritage theory: The case of Forensic Architecture

The 21st century has seen, along with major heritage destructions carried out by terrorists, extremists, and armies, a rise in the analysis of heritage destruction as a "creative destruction", as well as a tool to produce cultural criticism. In this paper, I will argue that the emergence of a critical heritage theory has contributed to an understanding of destruction of significant architectural sites as a heritage process. The paper will analyze the work done by Forensic Architecture (FA) in creating the exhibition "Maps of Defiance" (2018) for the 2018 London Design Biennale, as a prime example of how destruction and its analysis have prompted shifts in heritage thinking. According to critical heritage theory, the making of heritage should be scrutinized from expert as well as popular notions of heritage. Extending this notion to the destruction of heritage, I argue that in creating an exhibition that analyzes the destruction of significant cultural heritage sites in Iraq, and includes local as well as expert accounts on the meaning of the particular targeted sites, FA not only applies critical heritage theory but it also exposes and educates audiences about heritage destruction, thus allowing audiences to understand the destruction in its social, historical, and political context, and how is understood across different scales and geographies. In this way, audiences can then understand the operations of heritage destruction in relation to the various truth claims that relate to the targeting of significant architectural buildings, and how destruction is part of the "creative" process.