Returning 2024

In our modern world, death has become increasingly sanitized and disconnected from the natural cycles of life. "Returning" is a video projection installation that explores the emerging practice of human composting, inviting viewers to reconsider their relationship with mortality and the environment.

Through a series of time-lapse sequences and intimate close-ups, this work visualizes the transformation of human remains into nutrient-rich soil. The projection maps this process onto various surfaces, blurring the boundaries between the body and its surroundings, and challenging our perceptions of life, death, and rebirth.

“In Eliza Barrios’ Returning, the profound and transformative relationship between heat and human composting is explored through video projection. This project investigates the natural cycle of life and death, emphasizing fire’s role as both creator and destructor.

The imagery juxtaposes the intense energy of heat with the serene process of human composting. By capturing the breakdown and transformation of organic matter through heat, Returning highlights the overlooked beauty and potential of natural organic reduction. Visuals transition from raw, fiery energy to nurturing warmth that facilitates decomposition, ultimately creating fertile soil.

Returning invites viewers to reconsider perceptions of death and decomposition. The project is a contemplative journey, encouraging reflection on environmental impact and sustainable afterlife practices. By embracing human composting, we can contribute to planetary regeneration, turning the end of life into a new beginning. Returning calls for eco-friendly ways of honoring our passage through life, inspiring deeper appreciation for the interconnectedness of all living things and the continuous cycle of renewal.” (T.L.G.)

*much thanks to Jake Miller (Return Home)