"The museums and parks are graveyards above the ground- congealed memories of the past that act as a pretext for reality"

This quote by Robert Smithson speaks with the concept that museums and parks are a way of preserving the past and linking it to the present. He recommends that these locations are like graveyards, but rather of being below the ground, they are above it. The memories of the past are frozen in time, and they serve as a way of understanding today. Smithson implies that these places are a way of connecting the past to the present, and that they can be utilized as a way of comprehending the reality of today. He suggests that these places are a method of linking the past to today, and that they can be used as a way of comprehending the truth of the present. By understanding the past, we can get a much better understanding of the present and the future. Smithson's quote speaks to the concept that museums and parks are a method of maintaining the past and linking it to the present, which they can be utilized as a method of comprehending the reality of today.