[wit(h]er)
a cemetery project of guiding spirits
critic: Cathryn Dwyre
fall'21
...
Hart Island is a rare remote moment in New York City that serves as a public burial ground for the indigent and unidentified. The island is neglected and inaccessible to the public, making the ritual of grave visits impossible for those who have loved ones at Hart Island.
wither is a narrative-driven sacred journey, guiding visitors through 3 elevated plots of burial ground accompanied by various follies that serve to guide the visitors and feed the host [sacred ground].
In an effort to alleviate the stigma of Hart Island and provide a space to properly mourn
...
when a flower dies, it withers
with her
Over where the trees burn down, the place where the fields went down in flames. We could put a hole in the ground, throw seeds, and dance for rain. It takes a mind to worry, a conscience to feel ashamed, but there's no place to hide out here. These skies are filled with planes and both our hands are filthy pointing up at the moon. Tonight I'll hold you close, close enough to bruise. Hope a garden grows where we dance this afternoon. Hope our children walk by spring when flowers bloom. Hope they'll get to see my color, know that I've enjoyed sunshine, pray they'll get to see me, me wither (when I was young). See me with her (When I was young).
