NOBA Nordic Baltic contemporary art platform

the anatomy of a funeral, 2024

100 x 100 cm

Photos are shown in 22” screens, each photo is 1032×1676 px.


This is part of a photo series that is included in a spatial installation created for my graduation project. In the installation, the photos are displayed on screens placed inside a coffin. I created an installation piece “The Anatomy of a Funeral” that is centered around my own staged funeral. Based on the culture of photographing the deceased in Estonia and the depiction of the departed in art by selected authors, I created a photo series where I am in the role of the person in the coffin. The photo series is accompanied by video clips documenting the rehearsal of the performative funeral day, showing the process of creating the practical work. The topic of my thesis was inspired by my real-life experience when, as a teenager, I earned pocket money by maintaining graves in the local cemetery. A few years later, I took on additional jobs at the pub run by my parents, where I occasionally helped organise funeral repasts. It was always interesting to observe what the relatives chose for the menu, but the classic rotation of pie-broth-pork roast-kringel remained dominant on the table. The kringel that was always placed on the table was listed on the order form’s price list as “Festive Kringel.”


More art by this artist

Photography

the anatomy of a funeral by Birgit Kaleva
the anatomy of a funeral  
100 x 100 cm
the anatomy of a funeral by Birgit Kaleva
the anatomy of a funeral  
100 x 100 cm
the anatomy of a funeral by Birgit Kaleva
the anatomy of a funeral  
100 x 100 cm

Installation

the anatomy of a funeral by Birgit Kaleva
the anatomy of a funeral  
220 x 82 cm