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The Great Sendoff

  • Debra Solomon
Begin with flames, explosions, fire extinguishers, and masked men in red leather aprons.

The festive funeral of Dutch Fluxus artist Robert Jasper Grootveld on March 7th, 2009

www.iisg.nl/grootveld/index.php

Media

  • Shamans pray for you.
  • Your old poet buddies dance like dervishes at one of the many funeral day happenings.
  • Your friends raise a ~ 20 meter banner with pictures documenting your career. The group pullies it up through electrical wires amidst much chaos which everyone enjoys.
  • Throughout the day there are somewhat equal portions of tears and laughter.
  • Your friends travel your coffin by home made raft, with your portrait on it, setting sail in a veritable flotilla for more than an hour to reach the cemetery.
  • Those not on handmade rafts and boats, walk the entire distance and cheer those water-bound on at every single bridge.
  • Your friends take turns carrying your casket for more than a kilometer in the biting bitter cold, chanting and singing songs.
  • They reprint bawdy photos of you from way back, and distribute them to all attending, laughing right above your open grave.
  • Your friends lower you into your grave by hand, all together, and with their own muscle power.
  • Your friends bury you themselves.

Onderdeel van:

  • Collection

    Leaving the community

    Leaving the community

    Rituals for leaving, when in an ideal situation, the group honours your departure

Trefwoorden

Authenticity, Culture, Catharsis, Orchestration, Performitivity, Engagement, Act (Do/not-Do)

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