Following a person’s death, friends and family can experience a range of emotions including sadness, pain, and a sense of loss. Feelings of grief are a natural and normal reaction but are unique to an individual. Mourning is the expression of this sorrow. What is considered an appropriate way to mourn is often prescribed by cultural and religious traditions.
[3D scans - Shoes, Grave Marker, Necklace, Andromache figure, mourning brooch]
Remembering someone who has died can be both a private and a shared experience. Emotions and behaviours related to grief demonstrate our connectedness to each other.
Commemoration plays an important role in societies across the world, honouring the life of the deceased while often strengthening community relationships. Memorial statues can provide a focal point to grieve. Individuals are often remembered on gravestones designed to stand as permanent markers in defiance of the fragility of the body. Others prefer to leave no permanent memorial behind.
An activity, such as lighting a candle or planting a tree, can also be a way of remembering. Memories of those who have died live all around us in objects, stories, and the landscape.
In what ways do you remember those who have died?