Ben Byrne's Corpse Couture, presented by Queer as Death Collective

AHFA
Mar 25
2 min read

"Corpse Couture was a thing that Queer as Death Collective was already doing. Someone volunteers to be a corpse, and they bring some concept of - how I want to be dressed, how I want to be cared for, etc., when I die." - Ben Byrne

“I wanted to do it because it scared me. There was something about the opportunity that gave me permission to lean into whatever space pretending to die puts you in. I was intrigued by that. It felt different to how I'd felt about it in the past, where I was like - I don't have a strong sense of how I'd want to be dressed, and it doesn't seem that important to me. So it invited me to see it as something else that was bigger and more about getting in touch with myself. And getting in touch with everyone else.” - Ben Byrne

" I wanted Ben, and his feelings and fears, to dictate how the event was going to unfold. He was brave in the way that he was imagining it. And I wanted to make sure that we had the logistics and the structure in place so that he could bring all of his emotions and his creativity into it." - Alex Antunes

"Leading up to it, I actually was incredibly anxious - there were lots of thoughts in my head. I thought it was going to be really sad and difficult." - Ben Byrne

"And then when it happened, I was just relaxed. There was something deeply communal and sweet about it." - Ben Byrne

"From when I first started attending death cafes, I was always seeking connection to community. I think Corpse Couture settled something in myself that was wondering - am I communicating my love and care and desires to the people in my life?" - Ben Byrne

"I was overjoyed watching and being part of a group of people who were so focused on Ben's body and doing the right thing for it. Everyone wanted to contribute with care and consideration." - Alex Antunes