Garden on the Grave
WAUHAUS (Finland)The slow labour of decay
Garden on the Grave is a visceral audio performance unfolding in a cemetery. Blending an audiowalk with somatic practices, a death meditation and traces of ritual and incantation, it gently reshapes perception. Participants are invited into a series of simple actions – at times solitary, at times shared.
Garden on the Grave turns our attention to the soil beneath our feet and the more-than-human world that sustains us. For an hour, the cemetery becomes not only a place of endings, but a garden where decay is another form of abundance.
The performance is experienced through your own smartphone and headphones. It involves walking on uneven ground and lying down.
Garden on the Grave premiered in 2025 at Assistens Cemetery in Copenhagen, as part of the PARKLIFE performance series initiated by Public Performance (DK).
EASY READ VERSION
“Garden on the Grave” is a listening performance.
It takes place in a cemetery.
The performance mixes listening,
meditation, and different rituals.
This helps people see the cemetery in a new way.
The show pays attention to:
– the ground we walk on;
– the world around us.
Death is the end of everything.
But plants and living things break down after death.
This breaking down helps new life grow.
A cemetery is not just a place
where everything ends.
It also becomes a garden
where new life begins.
During the performance, you will walk on uneven ground.
You will need to do simple tasks
alone or together with others.
You will also need to lie down on the ground.
You need a smartphone and headphones.
ABOUT ARTISTS
WAUHAUS is a Helsinki-based multidisciplinary arts collective that was founded in 2016. The collective’s works are situated between different genres of art and they take place at various venues, such as small black box theatres, urban sites, large stadiums, and the main stages of established theatre houses. The members of WAUHAUS are artists Laura Haapakangas, Juni Klein, Samuli Laine, Jussi Matikainen, Jarkko Partanen, Heidi Soidinsalo, producer Minttu-Maria Jäävuori and managing director Julia Hovi. WAUHAUS is known for their comprehensive audiovisual stage aesthetics and methods of shared authorship. The collective collaborates with other artists and institutions both in Finland and abroad.
CREDITS
Concept, Directing and Design: Samuli Laine and Jussi Matikainen / WAUHAUS
Performance Dramaturgy: Tuomas Laitinen
Voice-over: Elīna Vaska-Botere
Research Assistance: Paula Sasse and Agnese Krivade
Latvian Translation: Agnese Krivade
Sound design assistant: Mimi Kantola
Voiceover recording and editing: Henriks Eliass Zēgners
Production: Public Performance (DK), WAUHAUS
Local Producer: Ance Ancova (New Theatre Institute of Latvia)
ACCESSIBILITY
Mobility and environment
The performance takes place at the Great Cemetery. The surface of the lawn at the venue and the paths are uneven in places. There are no accessible toilets available.
Sensory environment
This is a relaxed performance. All visitors take part in a single group led by a guide.
Availability of information
The performance is heard through headphones.
Support
Each group is accompanied by a guide and volunteer assistants.
An adapted performance for people with visual impairments will take place on Saturday 12 September at 11:00. This performance will feature an audio description and accessible transport to the venue for people with visual impairments.
The performance at Homo Novus was created as part of the EU Creative Europe programme project Festival SPA. With financial support from the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia. The New Theatre Institute of Latvia is responsible for the contents of the performance.
Support: Arts Promotion Centre Finland, Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation, The Danish Arts council, Nordic Culture Point, Svenska kulturfonden, KULTURFONDEN FOR FINLAND OG DANMARK
Accessibility of the performance is co-funded as part of the Riga City Social Integration Programme.
Date
Entrance
Tickets: 15 / 10 €Length
Location
Language
Accessibility
A performance adapted for people with visual impairments on Saturday 12 September at 11.00
Notes
Trigger warnings
Contains language about death and dying.
Suitable for audiences aged 16 and over.
Clothing appropriate for outdoors and weather conditions recommended.
Please bring a fully charged smartphone with an internet connection and a pair of headphones.