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 made like a walk.
During the walk,
the audience listens to an audio recording.
They also do a few simple activities.
The performance takes place in a cemetery.
This shows people the world in a different way.
We rarely think about death.
However, life and death are connected.
That is why this time the cemetery becomes a venue
for different events.
A city cemetery is full of life.
You only need to notice it.
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 venue is partially accessible to people in wheelchairs, as the surface of the lawn and 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.
During all performances, festival volunteers will be available to provide assistance to people with mobility 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
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.