Corpus Terrae

Design Fiction and Memorial Practice

Corpus Terrae explores a speculative future where human composting becomes a normalized burial practice. Through three imagined artifacts, the installation reflects on how this shift redefines our relationship to death, grief, and the land. This future scenario invites ethical reflection on sustainable burial methods, particularly as human composting remains illegal in many places. Corpus Terrae challenges anthropocentric thinking and the human/nature divide, emphasizing that cultural shifts around grief are essential to embracing ecological alternatives. It asks: what societal or regulatory changes could support human composting — and how can we foster emotional and cultural acceptance of new death care practices?

Timeline — The first artifact, a graphic banner, traces seven generations of this future beginning in 2025. Following a devastating war, survivors in Europe turn to human composting as a resource-efficient burial method. Over time, society evolves, replacing wealth and ownership with communal trust and reciprocity — especially between humans and soil. Bodies are seen not as waste, but as vital nutrients that help heal the Earth.

Seven Letters of Grief — The second artifact offers personal voices across generations. Each letter is written by someone mourning in a different stage of this evolving society. These letters reveal how grief transforms alongside burial traditions — moving from discomfort and resistance to reverence and identity. Even in this speculative world, the need to remember and be remembered remains deeply human.

Soil Portrait — The third artifact is an ambient sound and moving image memorial, meant for domestic spaces. Based on soil chromatography, it visualizes the organic transformation of a loved one into soil. Created by the "grafter," a figure who guides composting rituals, the portrait merges the human and non-human through image and sound, reflecting the emotional evolution tracked in the letters.