Cemetery fotos explore end-of-life

CURATED by Kat Clarke, photographic showcase Say it with Flowers is inviting the community to become more familiar and comfortable with the Ballarat General Cemetery.

Part of the Ballarat International Foto Biennale, the nostalgic outdoor exhibition features the work of 16 international artists, including the Pitcha Makin Fellas, and explores the ideas of community, death and dying, longing, and memories.

Ballarat Cemeteries CEO Annie De Jong said cemeteries share stories and history, but many people will avoid visiting these places because they associate them with a sad time or memory.

“It’s part of the life cycle, but for a lot of people, walking into a cemetery is really hard,” she said.

“The stories the cemetery tells fits really well with photos and the stories they tell, so we’re inviting people to come for a walk, or drive, through our beautiful green space and enjoy the artwork in our grounds.

“People can see the exhibition at their leisure, as it’s completely open with no cost. The name Say it with Flowers fits beautifully, as that’s the way a lot of people choose to pay their respects.”

Ms De Jong said the Ballarat Cemeteries team often hears of visitors who come the Ballarat General Cemetery to talk to their late loved ones, and take the opportunity to enjoy a reflective walk around the site while they’re there, reading various headstones as they go.

“The Foto Biennale is just another way of people enjoying our open space and participating in an amazing and significant community event running across the city,” she said.

“Opening up our gates, we’re encouraging people to think about where they might like to be at their end-of-life and see what options are available.

“We’re trying to make people more comfortable with cemeteries, and get them to talk to their family about their end-of-life wishes so they can feel as if they can honour them.”