Territories of the dead

Abstract

This text is based on a genealogy of cemeteries initiated within the "Terrains d'architecture" workshop, from October 2016 to June 2018, in order to support a research on the modalities of circulation and presence of the "dead in migration" in Belgium. It aims to put the tools of architecture to the test in a field that intends to problematise the question of the territories of the dead. To do so, it lays down some foundations for understanding the forms of territoriality of the dead in relation to funeral practices in use in Belgium and the way in which they are articulated. It questions the 'open' character of cemeteries based on the negotiation of confessional plots and more specifically the multi-faith cemetery of Brussels. Rather than exploring other ways of using the tools of architecture, the article proposes a critique of the notions of neutrality, or general interest, which are formidable tools for levelling and smoothing out territories.