death

In contrast to life (生), death (死) is universally understood as the end of existence. Throughout history, death has been a central theme of diverse artistic, cultural, and religious practices across eras and regions as human civilizations have questioned the fundamental meaning of life, engaged with theories about inner and spiritual worlds, and probed the limits and possibilities of physical existence. Since ancient times, humans have created cave paintings, totems, icons, and sacred images to commemorate the deceased and remember historical events, leading to philosophical, psychological, and spiritual inquiries into concepts of immortality, enlightenment, sacrifice, and the sacred as responses to the human condition, including death. In its thematic proposition of the “exhibition-as-séance,” SMB13 Séance: Technology of the Spirit (2025) highlighted the relationship between human consciousness and realms beyond the living, critically examining structures of reality amid an era of global upheaval and uncertainty.