![](https://afisha.london/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/742.jpg)
The Russian artist 742 created a new memorial along the Thames River
Upon taking a walk by the Thames River, you might come across a new piece of work painted, or rather written in between the two artillery fortresses Tilbury Fort and Coalhouse Fort. The coastal section that once shielded London’s entrance now displays a ranger of numbers, coming together to a long chalk-looking line. 100 Years in the Shadow of War – The Poetry of Numbers is a new memorial created by the Russian artist 742 in memory of former and current victims of war and ongoing political turmoil. Afisha.London gives you an insight behind the ideas and inspirations of this new artwork.
Painted in only 40 days, the new memorial displays the birthdays and death dates of the ones who passed and suffered from politics or war from the IWW until today. The period, 1924-2024, is no coincidence as there has been no consistent time of peace in the past 100 years. The number 100 therefore holds special significance to the artist. The goal was to convey the shadows of human terror, as history repeats itself.
In Numerology, the number 100 symbolises the beginning, as well as the end of a cycle. Similarly, the ancient Egyptian hierographic for the number 100 looks like a spiral-twisted rope, coming together to represent a whole. Those numbers and dates hold various meanings across cultures, however, numbers as “prototext” are universal and are understood by everybody, which is precisely why the painter chose them.
The dates are put in utter chaos rather than a certain order, imitating how people cross paths in life and meet one other, often being brought together by coincidence. Ultimately, all the numbers create a long line in the middle, mirroring the water on the other side, which in turn imitates a circle of life once again. The numbers are representatives of time, and according to the artist “In them is the history of those, who didn’t want to take the gun, and those who were forced to take it.”
Cover photo: © 742
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