Grief as ritual: the new artist’s book by Taryn Simon

In her monograph, An Occupation of Loss, artist Taryn Simon creates a detailed record of her years researching professional mourning, which culminated in a seminal performance at the Park Avenue Armory in 2016. During the installation, professional mourners from around the world simultaneously broadcast their lamentations within a monumental sculptural setting, enacting rituals of grief. The installation combined performance, sound, and architecture to consider the anatomy of grief and the intricate systems we use to manage fate and uncertainty.

The book leads the reader through the complicated visa application process for the mourners invited to enter the United States, revealing the underlying structures governing global exchange, the movement of bodies, and the hierarchies of art and culture.