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Liz Gridley - 'How Do We Make Death Ritual Sustainable?' - oil on aluminium
How Do We Make Death Ritual Sustainable?
Oil on aluminium by Liz Gridley.
Painting size: 56.2 x 45 cm (22.1" x 17.7")
Frame size: 59.6 x 48.3 (23.5" x 19")
Originally conceived of by founder of ‘Recompose’ Katrina Spade, the conversation around sustainable living has extended to the way we deal with our body after death. Human composting (also known as body recomposition, terramation or natural organic reduction) is the accelerated decomposition of a deceased person’s body into nutrient-rich soil through natural processes.
Human composting is an above ground process where the body is placed in a vessel, ‘laid in’ with a mixture of wood chips, alfalfa and straw tailored to the individual then closed. The vessel is overseen by operators to ensure correct temperature and moisture is monitored during the process. After (on average five to seven weeks) the resulting soil is removed from the vessel and placed in a ‘curing container’ for an additional three to five weeks. When complete, the soil (approx 0.7 cubic metres) is rich in essential nutrients, capable of wide-spread use such as sentimental scattering, land regeneration, specific use in community parkland and agriculture.
Human composting also provides great opportunities for rituals and participation by families to help them in their bereavement. This process is not currently available in Australia but is in development in the ACT.