N 154 Palermo, Catacomben del cappuccini, dettaglio c. 1893 - 1903

Curator: Giuseppe Incorpora's haunting image, "N 154 Palermo, Catacomben del cappuccini, dettaglio," created between 1893 and 1903, captures a detail from the Capuchin Catacombs in Palermo. Rendered as a gelatin silver print, it offers a glimpse into a very particular moment of history and culture. Editor: Woah. Okay, so, my first thought? Seriously unsettling. It's that grey-scale reality that sucks you right in. It is like stumbling upon something you absolutely shouldn't. The light is like hesitant, creeping around these…are they bodies? Mummies? Gives me the shivers. Curator: Indeed. These are, in fact, mummified bodies. The Capuchin Catacombs served as a final resting place, and this photograph provides insight into the rituals surrounding death, mourning practices, and class structures of the time. The clothing of the bodies is interesting, would you not agree? Editor: Oh, totally! Each one’s got a sort of uniform on, or… you know, something similar. Adds this strange order to the whole morbid scene. It's as if they're attending some silent, eternal meeting. Like what did they do that makes them like this, the mummification, the clothes… Was this some creepy social club for those on the brink? I’m just spitballin’ here. Curator: More that social hierarchy persevered, or perhaps continued, even in death. We should think about class, of course. The photo can prompt critical engagement with the politics of representation involved. Editor: Hmmm. You always take the words right outta my skull. Thinking about how the camera freezes a moment – well, many moments – in time for everyone else to gawk at it…It all circles back around to who holds the reins and makes the rules. Kinda sobering, isn’t it? So. It's all like…the photographer, Incorpora is just doing more than documenting death. He is making it…public? Profitable? Curator: Yes, Incorpora's photograph also taps into broader histories of exploitation of death for commercial or voyeuristic purposes, and perhaps it can urge a dialogue between art history, ethics, and social responsibilities, while inviting new theoretical frameworks that are inclusive of both lived experiences and speculative thought. Editor: I think, if nothing else, you look at this and want to, you know, REALLY live. Even if it’s messy and chaotic… at least it’s life. Wow, kind of blew my mind a bit, looking at it through this lens. Curator: Indeed. It's a powerful image, prompting much needed thought.