Some of the most fascinating human behaviours are our dealings with death. Cultures around the world have different ways of processing human death, whether it be to celebrate it or to hide it, to immortalize our bodies or to give them to the creatures of the sky. Our favorite San Francisco store, Loved to Death, is hosting the book launch for Paul Koudounaris’ photographic book of death celebrations, Memento Mori: The Dead Among Us. Over the course of a decade, Koudounaris traveled around the world capturing death rituals all their forms, from catacombs to bone chapels to festivals of death. He photographed the monuments we make to death, and the ways that death is incorporated into our daily lives, like the Santa Muerte altars or the Indonesian household mummies. Loved to Death is hosting the launch and book signing this Thursday, April 16th at their shop at 1681 Haight St. from 6pm to 8pm. There will also be an exhibit of some of his stunning photos from the book. If you’re in the Bay Area and you’re into the culture of death, then you better be there to pick your copy up and meet the author! Check out a few of his awesome photos below…
