GCR

GCR

Museum Exhibition

Afterlives: Contemporary Art in the Byzantine Crypt

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

January 29, 2024 – January 10, 2027

This exhibit brings together modern-day works that reckon with death and visualize the afterlife with Byzantine Egyptian funerary art and artifacts.

Exhibition artworks

Representative work

"Damaged Bone Series"

Michael Aschenbrenner

"Damaged Bone Series"

1990

Glass, fabric, wire, twigs

Oberall estimated: 64 × 62 × 4 in., 36.8 lb. (162.6 × 157.5 × 10.2 cm, 16.7 kg) 2003.39a: 28 1/2 × 6 × 6 in., 5 lb. (72.4 × 15.2 × 15.2 cm, 2.3 kg) 2003.39b: 28 1/2 × 2 3/4 × 3 1/4 in., 2.6 lb. (72.4 × 7 × 8.3 cm, 1179.352g) 2003.39c: 24 1/4 × 10 1/4 × 4 1/4 in., 2.6 lb. (61.6 × 26 × 10.8 cm, 1.2 kg) 2003.39d: 33 × 2 1/4 × 2 1/2 in., 2 lb. (83.8 × 5.7 × 6.4 cm, 907.194g) 2003.39e: 22 3/4 × 4 × 4 1/2 in., 3 lb. (57.8 × 10.2 × 11.4 cm, 1360.791g) 2003.39f: 25 1/2 × 3 1/2 × 8 in., 3.4 lb. (64.8 × 8.9 × 20.3 cm, 1542.23g) 2003.39g: 19 3/8 × 2 1/8 × 2 1/2 in., 1.6 lb. (49.2 × 5.4 × 6.4 cm, 0.7 kg) 2003.39h: 25 1/2 × 6 1/2 × 2 5/8 in., 3.4 lb. (64.8 × 16.5 × 6.7 cm, 1.5 kg) 2003.39i: 13 1/2 × 2 1/4 × 3 1/2 in., 1.4 lb. (34.3 × 5.7 × 8.9 cm, 635.036g) 2003.39j: 11 × 2 × 2 1/2 in., 0.6 lb. (27.9 × 5.1 × 6.4 cm, 272.158g) 2003.39k: 8 1/8 × 2 1/4 × 4 1/8 in., 4 lb. (20.6 × 5.7 × 10.5 cm, 1814.388g) 2003.39l: 21 × 4 × 2 7/8 in., 2.2 lb. (53.3 × 10.2 × 7.3 cm, 1 kg) 2003.39m: 12 1/2 × 2 × 2 1/2 in., 0.6 lb. (31.8 × 5.1 × 6.4 cm, 272.158g) 2003.39n: 17 × 4 7/8 × 2 1/2 in., 1.8 lb. (43.2 × 12.4 × 6.4 cm, 0.8 kg) 2003.39o: 22 1/2 × 3 1/2 × 4 in., 2.6 lb. (57.2 × 8.9 × 10.2 cm, 1179.352g)

View artwork at the museum

Featured works

Body as Shell

Alwar Balasubramaniam

Body as Shell

2011–15

Sandstone

6 1/4 × 20 5/8 × 33 in., 96 lb. (15.9 × 52.4 × 83.8 cm, 43.5 kg) Weight: 96 lb. (43.5 kg)

View at museum
Silenus, the Tutor of Dionysos

Byzantine

Silenus, the Tutor of Dionysos

4th–7th century

Bone

Overall: 4 3/16 x 1 3/4 x 3/4 in. (10.7 x 4.5 x 1.9 cm)

View at museum
Bone Carving, Possibly of a Dionysiac Revel

Byzantine

Bone Carving, Possibly of a Dionysiac Revel

300–500

Elephant ivory

Overall: 3 7/8 x 2 3/8 x 13/16 in. (9.8 x 6 x 2 cm)

View at museum
Fragment with Personifications of Victory and the Nile

Byzantine

Fragment with Personifications of Victory and the Nile

6th century

Elephant ivory

Overall: 1 x 2 7/16 x 1/4 in. (2.6 x 6.2 x 0.6 cm)

View at museum
Dionysos

Byzantine

Dionysos

4th–6th century

Bone

Overall: 5 3/8 x 2 1/16 x 9/16 in. (13.6 x 5.3 x 1.5 cm)

View at museum
Arm and Hand Fragment

Coptic

Arm and Hand Fragment

4th–7th century

Marble

Overall: 3 1/8 x 1 1/4 x 7/8 in. (8 x 3.1 x 2.3 cm)

View at museum

30 documented works in this exhibition

View all 30 documented works