Death on Stage

"Death on Stage examines rural Taiwanese funeral culture through the lens of advertising, reflecting on how commodification has altered these rituals’ meaning and function. Traditionally, grieving people stacked canned food on towers as an offering and to be shared by friends and family after the funeral. However, since the country adopted capitalism, the food and objects that the structure carries have changed. Towers of different heights and prices now indicate wealth and reputation, eroding their traditional meaning. The display of material wealth has overshadowed the focus on the deceased, turning a once profound ritual into an opportunity for the living to flaunt their status.

The installation and live ritual centre around a steel tower adorned with cast wax elements representing traditional Taiwanese and Chinese symbols of power and wealth. These elements melt and deform under the gaze of an infrared light, highlighting the transient nature of material wealth and the shifting values in funeral practices."