In collaboration with the good people at Reimagine’s Life, Loss and Love Festival, I will be giving an illustrated Zoom presentation on this theme on the evening of May 6th. Here’s the presentation description:
“Remember death and therefore seize the day!”
It’s an ancient and profoundly simple philosophy, but how can members of the emerging “alt-death” counterculture put it into practice?
Vanitas paintings served as memento mori (“reminders of mortality”) throughout 16th century Europe, depicting everyday objects such as coins, flowers, candles, books, hourglasses and even skulls to symbolize the transience of wealth, beauty and prestige. Ironically, the paintings themselves became status symbols in societies marked by conspicuous consumerism.
We will explore the urgent relevance of these symbols through the creation of modern, life- and death-affirming vanitas practices inspired by this four hundred year old tradition.
All details and RSVP available via this link. Do check out the rest of the Festival listings as well – there’s a wonderful variety of online seminars, readings, storytelling sessions and so-on.