THE FU NERAL
tHE FUNERAL OF
MALCHUTA "tERRA" sHECHINA
tHE tHESIS
The architecture of the thesis was the construction of a ceremony: a funeral for Mother Earth that raised awareness of anti-semitism and climate destruction. Designing a mythology, visual typology, and an architectural style that were based around Kabbalah and pareidolia.
The final product included a 40-minute interactive performance of the funeral; costume, projection, prop, and scenic design; and architectural drawings.
The Mythology
The project began with designing a mythology, based on the rich history of Kabbalah, casting Terra as a combination of Mother Earth and "Shechina"
Diagramming the Story
Employing aesthetics and history of the Kabbalist diaspora, these diagrams tell the story that would become the funeral.
Constructing terrA
The body of Terra was symbolized by a handmade scroll, with homemade paper and personally carved scroll handles. Her coffin was a simple, homemade pine candle box in which Kabbalist iconography was burnt.
Facing Terra
Site visit to the Arizona and Nevada deserts to find the face of Terra. Her face was found in pareidolia: the recognition of human faces in non-human objects.
Plan of Procession
The funeral of the final project was imagined to be one ten, in all global locations of the Kabbalist diaspora.
PLANNING THE FUNERAL
The funeral was a 40-minute immersive performance complete with a 30-foot-long projection screen; choreographed participation; an original script; and costume, prop, and scenic design.
architecture as cultural construction
Architecture is the thoughtful curation of time, space, and people. To that end, the architectural proposal of the project was the design of a ceremony: a global funeral for Mother Earth after she was killed by climate change.
