Geography of the invisibles : the territories of Women’s Memory
Alexandra Mallah (EHESS / Géographie-cités) will defend her doctoral dissertation entitled “Geography of the Invisible: The Territories of Women’s Memory”, supervised by Nicolas Verdier, on
Friday, November 14
2:00 p.m.
Auditorium of the Humathèque
Campus Condorcet
Jury
- Dominique Chevalier
- Karine Duplan
- Béatrice Fraenkel
- Frédéric Giraut
- Réjane Sénac
- Camille Schmoll
- Nicolas Verdier
- Vincent Veschambre
Abstract
This thesis aims to highlight the factors influencing the visibility of memorial inscriptions in Parisian public spaces. Set against a backdrop of growing feminist initiatives to reclaim memory, it stems from a paradox: despite the increased presence of female figures in public spaces, mechanisms of invisibility persist. The research therefore seeks to understand why some inscriptions honoring women in the city are perceived, while others remain invisible. By analyzing this unequal visibility of signs in urban space, it questions the spatial logic of memory at the intersection of gender, power, and recognition.
This work is based on a cross-analysis of three commemorative markers: female street names, collages commemorating victims of femicide, and the MonumentalEs project on the Place du Panthéon. The methodology is based on a hybrid approach, combining quantitative analysis (databases on memorial inscriptions) and qualitative analysis (observations, semi- structured interviews, observant participation).
Four main findings emerge from this research. First, visibility is not limited to an intrinsic property of a sign: it depends on a network of spatial factors (location, density, co- presence), symbolic factors (memorial significance of places), graphic factors (style, legibility), temporal factors (repetition, erasure), and social factors (frequency of use, interactions). Second, women’s and feminist memories in Paris unfold in a fragmented manner. Together, these two findings reveal a third: the ways in which women’s memory is inscribed in Paris contribute to the reenactment, or even the perpetuation, of gender inequalities. In this regard, the thesis shows that the memory of women and gender minorities remains a memory in the city, but still struggles to become a memory within the city. Finally, despite the limitations we highlight regarding the visibility of female and feminist memory writings, this work reveals the emergence of feminist protest memory practices that subvert traditional forms of commemoration. By promoting other forms of memory, they deserve to be considered under the term critical matrimoine.
