Light After Life
TITLE: Light After Life
Subtitle: individual legacy amidst collective constellations
Hashtags: #mourninglights #deathinalivingcity #memoryconstellation #enduringenergycycles #enlightenedremembrance
Description:
Our bodies are one temporary form within enduring energy cycles.
We are composed of universal elements.
Beyond employing dangerous chemicals and environmentally stressful processes, most mortuary and funerary practices hesitate to honor the cyclical and organic nature of life. Bodily remains are often unnaturally preserved, their inevitable decomposition addressed with denial. In reality, bodies are rich sources of biomass – energy that can be converted in a manner that is both respectful to the living city and a fitting tribute of past individuality.
“Light After Life” proposes a meandering parkway which holds a constellation of serially reusable funerary vessels. Through controlled anaerobic bio-conversion, decomposition of the corpse is accelerated and biogas that is naturally produced during the process is gathered to fuel a discrete ‘mourning light’ that waxes and wanes during the organic conversion.
As these civic-sacred spaces are woven into the fabric of the city, sites become meaningful urban spaces that invite engagement, reflection, and remembrance. The memorial landscape breathes new life into underutilized urban infrastructures and provides public space for mourning, relaxation, meditation, and play. Simultaneously, humanity’s place within the natural cycles of the planet is confirmed, and the power, transience, and elements of all life are honored.