Bound up Material: Objects or material other than human remains that are in some way physically bound up or attached to them so to in effect be part of them.
British Museum – Guidance for the Care of Human Remains in Museums
My research stems from a prior project during my undergraduate and master’s studies, which delved into the issue of unidentified deceased individuals within mass graves, with a primary focus on the Former Yugoslavia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Following the conflict in Bosnia, Interpol made a profound declaration: “the right of human beings not to lose their identity after death.” This statement ignited my contemplation of the right to identity for those individuals who cannot be scientifically “identified.” While it’s commonly assumed that science can always provide identification, it’s important to acknowledge the limitations. DNA is only effective when there’s a reference sample to match against, fingerprints rely on pre-existing records, and documents can establish identity only if available at the time of death.
For my practice-based PhD, I sought to explore cases of unidentified deaths closer to my own context. Leveraging the missing persons database, I examined clothing, personal belongings, and location as means of individualisation. In life, we express our identity through our possessions and attire. Clothes and shoes, in particular, serve as vessels that evoke memories of their owners. In the realm of forensic identification, clothing often serves as the initial step in the process.
Through my artistic practice, I’ve generated an ongoing body of work that grapples with the recognition of unidentified deceased individuals. I employed gelatine bioplastic, a biodegradable material that gradually disintegrates in the environment, much like human bodies do. This choice references the fragility of deceased bodies in their surroundings and embodies the idea of something missing, barely present. The material possesses a ghostly quality that physically encapsulates the notion of absence.
My research aims to shed light on the existence of individuals who have passed away unnoticed, individuals whose sole acknowledgment lies in a database reference. With no one to mourn or remember them, these individuals risk fading from society’s collective memory. By focusing on the belongings found with unidentified individuals at the time of their death, I directly tap into facets of their individuality. The individuality imbued within well-worn possessions mirrors the concept of identity, both in life and death. In death, these belongings acquire heightened poignancy, where every mark seems to tell a story. To loved ones, these items hold precious memories of time spent together. However, when these items are discovered with unidentified human remains, they become our sole connection to the lives these individuals once led.
