Within the medical and legal contexts, death is often defined as a moment or state where all vital functions of a living organism cease to operate. Bereft of life, bodies start to decompose, decay and eventually disappear into the hereafter nothingness. The occurrence of death also simulates the termination of all social and familial bonds an individual shares with others. Sentiments such as depression, grief and sorrow thus ensue from the bereavement and loss. 

 

Challenging this reductive, and oftentimes negative, perception of death, By the time we are gone probes the complexity of the biological condition to experiment with its transformative potential. Taking the forms of an exhibition, a discussion tearoom and a publication, this project brings together artists Tan Kian Ming, Parichat Tanapiwattanakul, Wu Pei Chi and Siuman Wu to explore death not as the ultimate ending, but as points of departure that catalyse discussions around cultural, societal, religious and environmental issues.

 

The exhibition is curated by SE°111 and sponsored by Goldsmiths Alumni & friends Fund. Founded in 2018, SE°111 is a curatorial collective led by Rinrada Na Chiangmai, Sandra Lam, and I-Ying Liu. Our practice stems from but is not limited to, the social, political and cultural background(s) we are born and raised in. We aim to provide a platform that supports artists from both East/Southeast Asia and other underrepresented communities.