This project investigates the industry and the work flow behind the management of death, with a special focus on the Covid era and the circularity of the human matter.
The last 12 months and the global pandemic showed us how fragile human life can be, threatened by a minuscle virus. And suddenly death was a daily business, for each one of us.
The line between life and death is a very thin one, we understood. Dying seems so easy nowadays. But one can also have a different point of view on all this: circularity. “You were made from dust, and to dust you will return” the bible says. But if you are lucky enough, you might become part of a tree. A green leaf. Or a scented flower.
And that’s where my journey begins: the woods. Not just any woods, but a Tuscan wood in Italy that is a reforestation area, where ill or weak plants are cut in oder to prevent the health of the woodland.
Wood is also the last home that we have on this planet. Coffins are made of wood and people need one even when they choose cremation.
During the first lockdown last spring there was suddenly a wood emergency. There was a need for lots of coffins. Lumber mills and companies that produce coffins kept working full time, trying to rearrange their work flow in this sudden emergency.
But what happens, on a practical level, when somebody dies in the midst of a global pandemic?
During the last year we have seen the sacrifice made by doctors and nurses. But there is one aspect that has been overlooked. If the profession of doctors and nurses is the noble art of saving lives, the profession of those who manage the bodies of the deceased is no less delicate. No less complicated. No less risky.
It is necessary to handle the bodies devastated by Covid, but with care, without running the risk of infection. Double layers of gloves, overalls, protective screen, sanitizing sprays.
And what about funerals, in the Covid era? How are they organized, maintaining social distancing?
Cremation has been a common choice for many, since it might be seen as more ecological, hygienic and less expensive than burial. A convenient way to dispose of an extraordinary amount of human matter.
And once matter is turned into ashes, that’s when those ashes can go back to nature and start again the journey of life. In a memory garden, where ashes are scattered in the ground, they are absorbed by the roots and they might become part of a tree. A miniscule beginning that can turn into a green leaf. Or a scented flower.
Parco delle Foreste Casentinesi, Firenze. (The park of the Casentinesi forests, Florence) A forestry worker from the Union of the Municipalities of Valdarno and Valdisieve carries out a check on newly planted trees in an area used for "reforestation". This process consists in planting trees already present in the territory in an area that was not previously wooded.
Felled tree falling, San Godenzo, Florence. The phases of cutting a tree are made up of the evaluation of the chosen plant and the evaluation of the direction in which it will fall. A directional notch is then made, which consists in removing a section of trunk with an angle of 45 ° towards the chosen direction. Finally, we proceed with the cut using a felling wedge.
The production of woodchips in Rincine, a village in the Municipality of Londa, Florence. Two operators of the Union of the Municipalities of Valdarno and Valdisieve make woodchips with freshly felled timber. Woodchips are a set of wood shavings of varying size, but all just a few millimeters. It is produced by inserting in the chipper trees and plants not intended for sale but that have been felled for thinning, disease or simply in the cleaning of the undergrowth.
Cleaning the boiler, Castagno d'Andrea, a village in the Municipality of San Godenzo (Florence). A maintenance worker cleans the filters of the wood-fired boiler which alone supports the needs of over 120 families for the supply of hot water and heating.
Blade sharpening room at the Azienda Sangiorgi Legnami (Sangiorgi Wood Company, Imola. Blade sharpening is necessary in order ensure that the saw body is always efficient and ready to cut. A well sharpened blade gives a more precise cut. The blades are sharpened according to the type of processing required and, above all, taking into account the type of wood to be used.
Trimmer, at the Azienda Sangiorgi Legnami (Sangiorgi Wood Company, Imola. The trimming station is of fundamental importance for obtaining quality wooden boards. In this phase, the boards obtained from the logs are cleaned of any defects, measured and prepared to compose the finished package. Each board is measured and simultaneously recorded in the company’s management system so that the package, as soon as it is finished, is visible in real time to those who work in the sales and logistics departments.
Branded goods at the Azienda Sangiorgi Legnami (Sangiorgi Wood Company, Imola. The markings on the goods arriving at the origin (logs and planks) tell the story of the wood itself. The Sangiorgi Wood Company always takes into account environmental resources and the continuity of the forests when choosing its suppliers, making sure that the cuts are made in full compliance with local laws and with respect for the environment. These procedures are summarized in the European regulation EUTR, a control system designed to prevent the trade of illegal timber in Europe.
Worker during the matching phase of bases and lids at the SCACF Company, Perugia. The caskets and their lids follow different paths. In this phase they are coupled, limiting errors and ensuring the shearing of all the material
Worker during the assembly phase at the SCACF company, Perugia. The pieces arrive already cut to shape. The parts are then assembled and checked manually by the employees.
Worker checking the pantograph wood carving phase at the SCACF company, Perugia. The carving that distinguishes the pantograph method was originally a purely manual activity. Today this process has been automated, while maintaining the same quality and precision.
Worker during the sanding phase of the lid at the SCACF company, Perugia. This stage of processing is still done entirely by hand: the expert eye of the technician is an irreplaceable resource.
View of the polishing area, SCACF company, Perugia. A year on from the start of the pandemic that has shocked the world, Italy is approaching 90,000 deaths from Covid-19. During the first wave in March, extraordinary daily deliveries were guaranteed, including weekends. All this was possible because the production was kept in Italy and was immediately increased following the huge number of requests received.
Automatic internal painting at the SCACF company, Perugia. In the production process, robotics made it possible to improve processing times and results, while maintaining the same quality. The design of the machines is also based on the specific needs and internal research of the company.
Coffin during the automated drying phase using UV lamps at the SCACF company, Perugia. Much attention is paid to the choice of sustainable materials that guarantee the lowest possible environmental impact without reducing the quality of the product.
Biomass boiler, SCACF company, Perugia. Regular maintenance of the biomass boiler which, using wood processing waste, guarantees hot water and heating throughout the company, reducing waste and the use of gas to zero.
Washing the hearse at the OFISA company, Florence. When the corpse of a victim of Covid-19 is transported, once the coffin has been placed inside the hearse, it is immediately sanitized using a spray sanitizer to eliminate the possibility of infection for the workers involved.
Decoration of a coffin at the OFISA company, Florence. An employee affixes the last details to the coffin before delivering it to the operators in charge of collecting the body from an RSA (healthcare or hospital structure).
Pantograph, OFISA company, Florence. Detail of the coffin identification plate. The section of population most affected by the Covid-19 epidemic is the over 80s.
Warehouse, OFISA company, Florence. An attendant takes the lid and zinc case to assemble the coffin for a victim of covid. The materials used in the transportation of corpses carrying infectious diseases must guarantee the resistance and absolute impermeability of the coffin.
Mortuary operators at the healthcare structure Villa San Martino, San Casciano in Val di Pesa (Florence). Operators Marco and Federico wear the PPE necessary for the collection of the body of a Covid-19 patient: overalls, gloves, mask, visor and shoe coverings. In 90% of cases there are no designated areas in which funeral directors can change and they are forced to improvise makeshift changing rooms both when they arrive at the facility and when, once the body is collected, they must remove and dispose of used PPE. There is no protocol dedicated to these operators, who currently have to self-manage and are not even on the list for the vaccine.
Collection of the body of a Covid patient at the healthcare structure Villa San Martino, San Casciano in Val di Pesa (Florence). When the corpse of a Covid-19 patient is collected, the body is found in a black bag, within which it is wrapped in a cloth soaked in disinfectant. The burial operators lay the corpse inside the coffin and disinfect it with a special spray. They then proceed with screwing down the lid and again disinfect the coffin with the spray. After placing the coffin inside the hearse, the operators disinfect everything again with the spray, to minimize the risk of infection.
Collection of the body of a Covid patient at the healthcare structure Villa San Martino, San Casciano in Val di Pesa (Florence). The collection of the body of a Covid-19 patient can take place inside the ward or in premises used as a morgue. Withdrawal from private homes presents greater difficulties, while in morgues and hospitals the situation has a more defined protocol.
Terracielo Funeral Home, Modena. Non-covid related funeral, organized taking into account the protocols and precautionary measures imposed during the pandemic.
Crematorium at the Certosa of Ferrara. An operator passes through the farewell room with the coffin of a Covid-19 victim. The bodies of Covid-19 victims are placed in a refrigerated area awaiting cremation, which always takes place within 48 hours of death. On March 21, 2020, the Crematorium of Ferrara was the first point of delivery of the 25 coffins of the covid victims from Bergamo transported aboard army vehicles. In the following days the figure reached 120 coffins, coming from the municipalities of Seriate and Ponte San Pietro. The last delivery took place on April 3, 2020. The collection of the ashes was carried out by the Carabinieri, whose task it was to return them to family members.
Removal of brass from coffins, Crematorium at the Certosa of Ferrara. The brass decorations on the casket are removed because they cannot enter the furnace during cremation.
Operator at work in the Crematorium at the Certosa of Ferrara Crematorium worker wearing the PPE required by law: fireproof coat, gloves and helmet; protective shoes. Using the automatic trolley, the assistant proceeds to place the coffin in the cremation oven.
Detail of the identification plate, Crematorium at the Certosa di Ferrara. The identification plate has the important function of ensuring the traceability of the ashes. It is placed on the coffin before entering the cremation oven and accompanies the ashes until they are placed inside the funeral urn. The first plate was established in Ferrara on January 2, 2009.
Removal of foreign bodies from the Crematorium at the Certosa of Ferrara After the collection of the ashes, dematerialization with the crusher takes place, with care being taken to first remove foreign bodies such as complex prostheses or simple screws.
11/03/2021 Scattered ashes in Urbe, Savona, Italy. The scattering of ashes in a natural environment is allowed in Italy by the law 130/2001. In the wood of Boschi Vivi the urn containing the ashes is buried in a hole under a tree. The urn is made of a biodegradable material without any starches or substances that might attract animals. The hole is dug far enough from the tree so that it won't cause any arms to the roots. If the ground does not allow a hole that is deep enough for the urn, the ashes are buried without the urn. Once the ashes have been buried, the hole is covered and there is no trace at all of the digging and of the presence of the urn. This is due to the fact that the wood is not in a fenced area and people can freely access it, just like any traditionally multifunctional forest areas.
The selection of the tree Urbe Savona The first wood of Boschi Vivi is in Martina D'Olba, in the district of Urbe (Savona, Liguria, Italy). The wood is 11 hectares and has been bought by Boschi Vivi in 2017. After several improvements, planned by sylviculture and bioengineering experts and financed by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD), the wood has been opened again to the local community. The memorial trees that embrace the memory of the dearly departed have been selected by a forestry engineer amongst the strongest and long-lasting ones. Most of them are chestnuts, cherry-trees, oaks and beech trees.
Scattered ashes Urbe Savona. The scattering of ashes in a natural environment is allowed in Italy by the law 130/2001. In the wood of Boschi Vivi the urn containing the ashes is buried in a hole under a tree. The urn is made of a biodegradable material without any starches or substances that might attract animals. The hole is dug far enough from the tree so that it won't cause any arms to the roots. If the ground does not allow a hole that is deep enough for the urn, the ashes are buried without the urn. Once the ashes have been buried, the hole is covered and there is no trace at all of the digging and of the presence of the urn. This is due to the fact that the wood is not in a fenced area and people can freely access it, just like any traditionally multifunctional forest areas.
Family tree Urbe Savona A memorial tree in the wood of Boschi Vivi in Martina d'Olba (Savona, Liguria, Italy). Each tree that is dedicated to scattered ashes has a plaque with a number and a ribbon of a specific color, that indicates what kind of tree it is. A blue ribbon, like the one in this picture, is for family trees, under which a family can scatter the ashes of members of the same family. Once the ashes have been scattered, the ribbon can be replaced by an aluminum plate with a name, a date, a symbol or a short sentence.