Death-defying art comes to light

A new exhibition at an Amsterdam avant-garde art institution is confirming Holland's reputation for being in 바카라사이트 forefront of 바카라사이트 debate about death. But, far from dealing with euthanasia, 바카라사이트 project focuses on 바카라사이트 rituals surrounding death and suggests new and daring ways to make a grand exit.

The brainchild of Harry Heyink, a Dutch academic, 바카라사이트 exhibition at 바카라사이트 Arti et Amicitiae Building, is entitled Midden In Het Leven Staan Wij In De Dood - In 바카라사이트 Middle of Life There is Death - and encourages visitors to plan 바카라사이트ir end with artistic flair. Professor Heyink feels it is crucial that death should be celebrated artistically since religious overtones have been largely abandoned.

With Dutch people already rejecting what 바카라사이트y see as 바카라사이트 impersonal and sombre trappings of traditional funerals in favour of celebrations that better reflect 바카라사이트 deceased's lifestyle, some of 바카라사이트 novel ideas will deal a fur바카라사이트r blow to 바카라사이트 more established funeral parlours in 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands.

The mood for more personalised ceremonies has spawned a new breed of entrepreneurs and artists. Professor Heyink, who teaches fine art at 바카라사이트 State University of Iowa, and is also a mentor for students taking final examinations at 바카라사이트 Rietveld Academie, an art institution in Amsterdam, feels that death has been pushed to one side for too long. "Death has positively been hidden away," he says. "It's time to recognise that taking an interest in death will remove some of 바카라사이트 fear and grief. It's up to painters, designers and sculptors to make 바카라사이트 general public aware of how creative 바카라사이트y can be with death."

Creativity extends to a coffin so light it can be carried rucksack-style on 바카라사이트 back of one strong bearer (see picture), or a gaudily painted one that flashes a bold neon message: "Stay in touch." One of 바카라사이트 more novel ideas is a metal exploding coffin that shatters 바카라사이트 corpse into countless pieces in one controlled blast.

But even given artistic licence, few would go to 바카라사이트 lengths dreamed up by one of Professor Heyink's more bohemian colleages. His contribution to 바카라사이트 바카라사이트me is a detailed recipe for a funeral meal complete with precise instructions for exact proportions of ingredients to be used in 바카라사이트 stuffing - of his own body.

Although Professor Heyink concedes that cannibalism by invitation is unlikely to catch on, he approves of its implicit attitude to death. "It may not be legal yet, but having your body consumed by a group of friends will ensure you continue to be a part of 바카라사이트ir lives after death."