Beyond The Grave: Questioning Our Relationship with Death

Life After Death

How are we honored after death? What memories of us are left behind? How much does the world change without us, after we’re gone? This series of postcards captures the essence of life after death -- showing us how the monuments of our memory are interacted with for years after we’re gone. The written notes contextualize us and reminds us of Boston’s rich history, showing us how the city has evolved and diversified over time. The noir photos in contrast with the individual color emphasizes the ephemerality of livelihood, even in areas that seem so void of life, at the surface.

Reimagining Remembrance

Is it possible to consider alternative methods of burial for the future of Boston? How can we convene diverse communities together to celebrate life in conjunction with death? This storyboard illustrates methods for reimagining remembrance that shift the emphasis from the built to the natural, using trees to demonstrate how, when one life is lost, another can emerge in its place. The future of Boston holds endless possibilities to curate new experiences by generating spaces for prayer, personal reflection and play. 

Compiled for Constructing Visual Narratives of Place, Harvard Graduate School of Design, Fall 2019