A Tour of the Monuments of Passaic, New Jersey, 1989

With the title of this edition, Peter Halley refers to Robert Smithson's A Tour of the Monuments of Passaic, a conceptual piece from 1967 that reimagines the urban landscape of Passaic, New Jersey, as a site of monumental significance. In his accompanying essay, Smithson presents photographs of mundane industrial sites, such as a water tower and a factory, elevating them to the status of monumental artifacts. This approach challenges traditional notions of grandeur and permanence associated with monuments, suggesting that the everyday, often overlooked elements of the environment possess their own inherent significance. Both Halley and Smithson critique the way modern life is shaped by systems, whether through physical infrastructure (Smithson's industrial structures) or abstract, organizational frameworks (Halley's diagrams). While Smithson emphasizes the overlooked monumental significance in everyday objects, Halley focuses on the underlying structures of control and power that permeate our environment. Both invite us to reflect on the deeper, often hidden, forces shaping the world around us.