More at the Biophilium this year:
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November 9-20, 2026 Mortem is a 10-day online death and mourning school for artists to pursue our curiosity of mortality and to develop our identities as death-curious artists. This virtual residency will focus on wild death of more-than-humans with daily live talks by biologists and natural history curators on ecological grief, working with wild bones (taxidermy, scrimshaw and archives), extinction/geological time, animal psychopomps, pet memorials and heritage plant propagation. Mortem attracts very empathetic people; the course is designed to be gentle and we will support each other as we bravely contemplate death in the wild. Built in to the 2- 2.5 hours of daily programming are discussions, recommendations and show and tell. The class is small enough for artists to interact with the speakers and connect with the other artists in the group. The program is designed to give insight into death knowledge and mourning ritual from a wide range of perspectives. Biophilium death residencies facilitate talk about death. It is not grief therapy and won't ask you to dwell on pain from your past, although it will be an opportunity to share past experiences in a death positive context and most likely will be therapeutic. It will help you identify as an artist who works with themes of death and give you tools to talk about your work and to get involved with non-art professionals who also work with death. Biophilium residencies focus on experience and research by visual and conceptual artists. Artists, writers, poets, musicians and dancers are invited to apply. No previous experience related to death is necessary but a portfolio showing your creative practice is required to apply. You can see the artists who will be participating as they confirm here (scroll down to Mortem). You can see Mortem alumni here. Outline: Speakers will be adjusted to suit participating artists' interests
Animal Psychopomps with Morbid Anatomy Wild Death and Feral Women with Prof. of Death and Photography Ashley Czajkowski of the University of Arizona Ecological succession and fire ecology in the pyroscene at Arizona State University Wild Death and Mourning Ritual in Contemporary Art with the director of the Biophilium Memorials for the More-Than-Human with artist and pet death care worker Alyssa Ellis Botanical poisons with Kew Gardens The history of Earth's mass extinctions with the University of Ottawa Butoh and embodied philosophies of decay with Blue Ceiling Studio Crow funerals and how animals grieve Scrimshaw workshop with Towson University Participants are invited to give an artist talk to share your work with the group Cost: How to apply:
Send the following material to ArtLovesScience@gmail.com
1. Artist CV
2. Artist statement (about 200 words)
4. Portfolio 5 – 10 examples of your work
We are flexible and forgiving with application formats and deadlines.
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