ASH

On December 19th from 9 PM-Midnight, we will be holding a silent cremation ritual at ACRE Projects for Ash. During the silent ritual, people are welcome to bring offerings to place in the fire with Ash. You are welcome to enter through the side alley to join us at the fire. If you would like additional information or to hear more about how the space will be accessible during this event, please contact Acting Executive Director Kate Bowen at kate@acreresidency.org. All are welcome to attend the silent ritual to honor Ash’s life.

Here is Ash’s story, as told by Danielle––

Since 2018, I’ve been spending time traveling with, wrapping, anointing, and living with a pig skull, named Ash. This skull was a gift from a farmer in Wisconsin. Ash had been shot in the head. Their skull was dragged into the woods, buried by another non-human animal, and left for the farmer to find later.

When I first received Ash in the mail, I had a hard time spending more than 15 minutes with them. It was difficult to decide how to honor Ash or put them to rest. The farmer initially suggested that I make jewelry out of their teeth, explaining that is why he sent Ash to me. But anytime I tried to work with Ash, as a material, it felt violent and they seemed to protest. For a while, I kept them in a box, unsure of what to do.

For the past three months, I have been living with Ash’s skull in my studio which is also my bedroom. Letting them move through their process, silently in a calm space has been my goal. Offerings have been left on and around Ash. Roses, homemade incense, charcoal, essential oils, salt, and other kinds of live materials have been left around Ash’s skull. Ash has witnessed the life and death of at least 100 flowers or weeds. They are starting to feel less dense. To honor Ash’s transition, I will hold a public cremation ritual. Later, Ash’s remains will be made into incense, allowing them to pass many times over. The incense will be burned in a cast bronze section of Ash’s skull, through the bullet hole.