De Humusator / Necro-ecology
Necro-Ecology
Ongoing artistic research into the field of necro-ecology; the relation between diseased (non)human remains and the biochemical environment. Follow via: https://necroecology.substack.com
De Humusator.org is an open platform investigating Humane Composting in the context of the Anthropocene, art, death-work, ethics, spiritual ecology, urban development and the long now.
Our collaborations, projects and proposed research aims to explore and establish the emerging field of necro-ecology: the relational nature between diseased (non)human remains and the biochemical surroundings - in a variety of ways. Bringing together research institutions, designers, funerary workers and political agents to collectively re-design death from a more ecological and holistic perspective.
Humane composting is proposed as an above ground, mainly aerobe, decomposition process, that utilises the decompositional properties of organic compost - a mixture of wood chips, straw, clay particles and water - to decompose/compost human remains. Humane composting - also called ‘Humusation’(ENG) / ‘Humusatie’(NL) - aims to provide an ecologically (and budget) friendly alternative to common underground burial and cremation practices and strives to utilise the regenerative properties of the remaining compost ~ remainder soil ~ for the reforestation or public spaces and compromised area. Thereby adding to the overal health of our soil.
De Humusator is an initiative by independent funerary worker Susanne Duijvestein and artist/designer Rosalie Bak, inspired by the preliminary works of Stichting Metamorfose (BE) and Recompose (US)
Partners:
End of Life Lab_ TU Delft - Industrial Design
Institute for Biodiversity and Environmental Dynamics_ UVA, Amsterdam
Taphonomy Cemetery of the Amsterdam UMC_ location AMC, Amsterdam
Stichting Metamorfose_ Belgium