Dead, I Am Still Paper

From 2010 to 2019, St. Pölten Cathedral Square was an archaeological
excavation site. During the excavations, not only were Roman and medieval buildings, but also the mortal remains of around 22,000 people were discovered who were buried in a cemetery at this site which was used from the 9th century until 1779. Mariana Castillo Deball's site-specific installation "Dead, I am Still Paper" explores the memory and materiality of the site through the history of paper production. Inspired by objects found among the bodies, the installation reflects on the ephemeral nature of materials such as fabric and paper. Deball links this theme to Goran Petrovic's novel "Paper with Watermarks" („Papir sa vodenim znakom“), which tells of the process of the "democratization" of paper through the use of rags for its production and the history of the same material as a metaphor for vanity and transformation.

In the 14th century, European workshops began turning old clothes into paper, making it far more accessible than the parchment used previously. Rag collectors played an important role in sourcing materials, even extracting textiles from burial sites, sometimes leading to outbreaks of disease. Deball's work encourages viewers to think about the balance between preservation and decay and the stories that everyday objects tell about our identity and history. "Dead, I am Still Paper" awakens a deeper connection with the past and an awareness of the fragility of memory. And last but not least, it provides welcoming shade in a central location in the city.

 

 

Born in Mexico City in 1975, Mariana Castillo Deball lives and works in Berlin. Her work has been exhibited internationally, including at MoMA in New York, Documenta 13 in Kassel, the Venice Biennale, Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, London’s Institute of Contemporary Art and MACBA in Barcelona.

 

 

The following photos show some of the details and objects found during the excavation, as the project focuses on the everyday objects that tell of life at the time.