Inspired by the work of Death Becomes Her exhibition artist Rachel Grobstein, families will use mixed media art materials such as picture frames, modeling clay, gold leaf, flowers, moss, and found objects to create mini-monuments, altars, shrines, or ofrendas honoring and celebrating a loved human, pet, or place.
Death Becomes Her is a group exhibition on view at BRIC in the Main Gallery, co-curated and in partnership with The Green-Wood Cemetery. The exhibition features ten artists—Mimi Bai, Kim Brandt, Nona Faustine, Rachel Grobstein, Gyun Hur, McKendree Key*, Heidi Lau, Catalina Ouyang, Freya Powell*, and Keisha Scarville—exploring how death and the grieving process impact the living.
These ten female-identifying artists examine loss as a catalyst for self-discovery, its cultural and social associations, and the politics of death and dying. They are inspired by personal traumas, ancient myths, and historic injustices. Through their use of objects and tropes commonly associated with death (such as gravestones, flowers, and shrouds), the artists also expand the visual rhetoric of how the departed are remembered.
The centerpiece of this collaboration is an unusual activation of BRIC’s Main Gallery. The typically open-air space will be transformed into a tomb-like environment with atmospheric lighting and an intimate enclosure intended to facilitate a deeper engagement with the audience. The works on view are introspective and deeply personal, drawing our attention to the universally inevitable concept of death.
*Death Becomes Her will be accompanied by a series of public programs that, like the exhibition, encourage unconventional conversation and personal inquiry around death. Two of the featured artists, McKendree Key and Freya Powell, will present performance art pieces at Green-Wood in lieu of exhibiting work at BRIC. 5 x 10 @ The Catacombs is a special edition of McKendree Key's ongoing performance project that will present three intimate gatherings in the Catacombs of Green-Wood, bringing strangers together in an artist-led discussion about death, dying, and the hereafter. Freya Powell’s immersive performance project, Only Remains Remain, draws from the Greek tragedy Antigone to create an elegy for the hundreds of unidentified migrants buried in mass graves in Sacred Heart Cemetery in Brooks County, Texas.
For more information on tours of this exhibition for school groups, please visit our BRIC House Tours page.
ABOUT THE GREEN-WOOD CEMETERY
Founded in 1838 and now a National Historic Landmark, Green-Wood was one of the first rural cemeteries in America. Spread across 478 spectacular acres of hills, valleys, glacial ponds and paths, the Cemetery boasts one of the largest outdoor collections of 19th- and 20th-century statuary and mausoleums. Throughout the year, visitors are welcomed to explore Green-Wood through art installations, concerts, book readings, outdoor film screenings, death education programs, and tours.
Venue Information:
BRIC House is Brooklyn’s cultural living room: a 40,000 square foot multi-disciplinary arts and media complex in the former Strand Theatre, where emerging and established artists can create work that deepens their practice and engages the diverse communities of the borough.
Beginning Nov. 1, 2022, attendees of any BRIC House programming will no longer have to show proof of vaccination or a negative test to enter the building. Masks are encouraged but not required in all BRIC operated spaces. If you have questions regarding this protocol, please email Safety@bricartsmedia.org
BRIC is committed to welcoming people of all abilities. BRIC's main entrance, located on Rockwell Street, is fully accessible. In addition the main floor of BRIC House has an accessible, all-gender bathroom. The BRIC Media Center, located on the 2nd floor, is accessible via elevator. The Gallery level is accessible via a wheelchair lift. Portable FM assistive listening devices are available for programs on the Stoop and in the Ballroom upon request. To make a specific access request, or to let us know other ways we can provide you with a welcoming experience, please contact Benno Orlinsky at borlinsky@bricartsmedia.org or (718) 683-5637.