Continuing the Procession’s tradition of artistic expression as a way of expressing and understanding grief, the 2016 All Souls Procession Finale site will feature multiple art installations.
A couple of them will be familiar from last year, but most of them are brand new. These artists grapple in different ways with grief, death, memory, and our place in the order of the universe.
You will be able to walk through and around these installations at the Finale site at the end of the All Souls Procession route.
Zeitlangers
Donald B. Cooley
“The All Souls Zeitlangers display presents the names and faces of U.S. military and civilian personnel who died while serving in the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts, 2001 – present. Zeitlang is a Pennsylvania Dutch word that means a keen yearning–some describe it as a homesickness–of a parent who has lost a child. A Gold Star mother found it and thought is was applicable to all Gold Star families.”
This installation is the physical manifestation of the memorial website, Zeitlangers.com, that Donald has maintained for over a decade. It consists of 12 video monitors facing inward in a circle and displaying the names and faces of the dead.
Photos provided by Warren VanNest.
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When Children Die They Do Not Grow
Özlem Ayse Özgur
“I created ‘When Children Die They Do Not Grow’ to commemorate 504 children who died in the 51-day war in Gaza during the summer of 2014 because when I saw the photos and read the news about that war, I felt as if my children were being killed. The piece is composed of 504 ceramic shoes and each shoe represents a child killed in Gaza that summer. With this work, I wanted to hug each and every child and prepare them for their funeral with my own hands.
In the 21st century although we have the most advanced technologies of war, we are still killing civilians, including children. So I asked: I am an artist, can I share the pain of others via art making? Can I inspire collective action from compassion through my art? We have already forgotten about those 504 children because the rest of the world moved on to talk about their kids’ graduations, or weddings, their profitable companies, or even a more recent war, coup, bombing, etc. But a parent whose child was killed by bombs cannot just forget about their child’s death.
This installation is an artistic attempt to give a long-lasting funeral ceremony to those children who died in Gaza in the summer of 2014. It is an attempt to continually remember them. The piece not only includes the 504 ceramic shoes, but it also includes a sound component which is Salah—a funeral prayer in the Muslim world when someone passes away. The funeral prayers invite the viewer to consider both the lost lives of these children and the kind of world in which this continues to happen. I hope the viewer reflects on our collective future, and the death of children as killing hopes for a brighter future. Ultimately the piece is a call to act collectively out of compassion because if we lose our compassion it means we will have lost our essence as human beings.
I am participating in a competition at the moment with this installation. If you or your friends are interested in voting for it then please go: www.bombayartisan.com. If you type Ozlem into the search box and search, my artwork will load. If you want to support it please vote. The competition will end on November 7. You can vote once a day until November 7th midnight.”
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Columbarium
Flam Chen & Ruben Palma
The Columbarium was designed as a resting place for the Urn during its journey to the Finale stage. Before the Urn arrives, paper and pencils will be available at the Columbarium for people who want to write a message or remembrance or name to put in the Urn. Dry River Yacht Club will be performing music at the Columbarium as well.
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Ascension Temple
Steven Eye
Photos provided by the artist.
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Planeteria Chiminea
Spencer Edgerton
“In essence, I have made six spherical sculptures, inspired by ancient and medieval concepts of planets, which function as outdoor fireplaces, or Chimineas.”
Photos provided by the Kevin Price and Rachel Hardman.
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Transcendent Man
The Engineer
Steel frame structure with performer inside.
Photos provided by the Warren VanNest & Kevin Price
