The Arts & Culture Journal

Next month, Breda Beban’s new video installation, ‘Funeral Song’ opens at Camden Arts Centre. It is a highly anticipated piece that explores human emotion triggered by music - with death as the setting. Five friends of the artist are asked to select the song they would like played at their funeral. With this playing in the background, each sitter is asked to imagine a world in which they have passed away.

This is a thought-provoking piece that boldly confronts the last taboo. With overbearing emphasis on a long, healthy life, the very notion of death is often, consciously, ignored. It is something we can’t talk to our grandparents about and something that is feared by everyone. Ahead of this new installation, Fallyrag caught up with Breda to find out the story behind Funeral Song.

What inspired you to create this work, and why now?

‘My Funeral Song’ was triggered by hanging out with friends; by shared moments of happiness fuelled by music and some kind of inner fire when a friend suddenly says ‘if I drop dead tomorrow, I want this song to play at my funeral’. I’ll probably know why I wanted to make this work exactly at this point in time in about two to three years from now.

What was your reaction to the moments, gestures and comments you captured?

I am fascinated by brief moments when someone’s face finds the natural elegance of being at once right here and somewhere else.

Clearly this is a sensitive subject for many - perhaps one that people go through their whole lives without even considering. What cultural significance do you feel this work could create?