Mortem Online Death School

Mortem Online Death School is a two-week program for artists to pursue their curiosity about death and to explore and develop their identity as a death-curious artist. The virtual residency will involve daily live video lectures with international death care and funeral industry workers, historians, biologists and artists presenting research about a range of death related topics, one tethered international field trip in a graveyard near you and many short one on one meetings with artists who make art about death around the world. Built in to the 2 – 3 hours of daily programming are discussions, recommended assignments and show and tell. The program is designed to give insight into death knowledge and ritual from a wide range of perspectives.

Ayatana death residencies facilitate talk about death and talk about talking 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 may be therapeutic. It will help you identify as an artist who works with themes of death and give you tools to talk about it and to get involved with non-art professionals who also work with death.

Outline

• Residents are invited to give a private artist talk to share your work with the group.
• Murder, Martyrdom and Apotheosis in Art History, a guided tour of the collection at the National Gallery of Canada
• Krilian photography, Sacrifice and life left in the body
• Talk to a funeral director to learn about standard burial and cremation processes.
• Talk with a green burial activist.
• Embalming chat with an eco-casket builder.
• Presentation of the history of death rituals around the world.
• What happens when you die? A chat with the Anatomy Laboratory at the University of Ottawa.
• Non human mourning rituals with a zoologist.
• Haunting: Seminar lead by paranormal investigator
• Palliative care: Chat with a death Douala

Duration of residency

2 weeks

Accommodation

on line

Disciplines, work equipment and assistance

Open to all creative practitioners interested in the expertise of death care workers.

Studio / Workspace

private

Fees and support

$600 USD. Residency places are limited to 7 artists. Official invites will be given to accepted applicants to help find grants and funding.

Expectations towards the artist

You are invited to give a short artist's talk to introduce your work to the group.

Application information

Send the following material to ArtLovesScience@gmail.com:

• Artist CV
• Artist statement (about 200 words)
• Ayatana form
• Portfolio: 5 – 10 examples of your work

Application deadline

2026-09-20

Residency starts

2026-11-16

Residency ends

2026-11-27

Location

Global