Tag Archives: Art About Death

When Everyday Objects Become Sacred

An artist remembers the loss of her mother through photography

After artist Beatriz Ruibal lost her mother, Carmen, she discovered that her grief was painful and slow. Two years later, every inanimate object in Ruibal’s home became a reminder of her mother’s death, and Ruibal found that she couldn’t escape from … Continue reading

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No Longer the Last Nail in the Coffin: A Design Duo Wants to Zip You Up Instead

Visser & Meijwaard make fun, funky coffins for bold personalities

Many people dread the idea of being locked inside a coffin and buried. But thanks to a Dutch design team’s innovative new zip-up coffins, that idea may be a lot less terrifying now. Design duo Steven Visser and Vera Meijwaard wanted … Continue reading

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Wolfgang Natlacen Brings Fun Whimsy to Funerals with Urns That Double as Toys

The artist's egg-shaped urns transform the way we mourn loved ones

Walk into most funeral parlors in the United States, and you’ll see rows of somber, muted urns resting on the display shelves. For centuries, Western culture has thought of funerals and funeral accessories as dignified and utterly sanitized. Any attempts at … Continue reading

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Ghost Bikes: A Somber Public Service Announcement

Artists paint bicycles white to memorialize riders who have died

If you’ve ever walked around a major city’s traffic-heavy downtown, you’ve probably seen one or two all-white bicycles leaning against telephone poles. What you might not realize is that they’re part of the international Ghost Bike project that originated in St. … Continue reading

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“Strange Fruit (for David)” by Zoe Leonard Breathes New Life Into Death

Still Life tradition gets a makeover with this time-based memento mori installation

“Strange Fruit (for David)” by artist Zoe Leonard is as tender and fragile as it is innovative and…sometimes smelly. This installation comprises “Orange, banana, grapefruit, lemon, and avocado peels with thread, zippers, buttons, sinew, needles, plastic, wire, stickers, fabric, and trim … Continue reading

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The Tanatorium Sheds Literal Sunlight on Grieving Families

An architect builds a space for families to remember loved ones in peace

When you think of a death-centered art project, you probably don’t picture a massive concrete building. Yet this is exactly what architect Juan Carlos Salas created when he designed a unique tanatorium (literally “mortuary”) located on the outskirts of Zaragoza, Spain. On the … Continue reading

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