What is a shroud in the first place?

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A shroud is a burial cloth. Often, it was the finest bed linen a family owned at the time of a loved one's death, which they wrapped around the deceased. Sometimes shrouds were/are created specifically for this purpose. After the body had been washed, the deceased was draped in the shroud, then sometimes placed in a simple coffin, before being returned to the earth. In many places, the coffin is dispensed with altogether. Before the arrival of cotton in the Western world and its massive democratization, due to the textile industry and the slavery that fueled it, sheets were made from hemp or linen. The nineteenth century saw a large-scale change, with the expansion of the modern funeral industry making varnished coffins, ornate black funerary arrangements, draperies and mineral monuments the norm. 

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Above all, we want to present a regenerative crop 

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The nineteenth and twentieth centuries also saw the disappearance of hemp as an industrial crop. Hemp is a sustainable crop that requires no pesticides or irrigation to grow, while capturing large quantities of CO2. Its deep roots have a profound impact on the soil, which they structure and depollute, helping to combat soil erosion and flooding. Hemp can be used for over 25,000 applications, shrouds being just one of them.

Hemp's use is holistic: it provides resources in the fields of food (human and animal), construction, textiles, biomaterials, medicine, crafts, soil regeneration, to name but a few. Hemp must once again become as deeply rooted in our land and know-how as it is in our history. By its very nature, hemp is a structuring crop for the ecosystem. It is considered one of the 5 best crops for the surrounding biodiversity. Its seeds are considered to be one of the most beneficial foods for human health. Its role in the transition to peasant agriculture and sustainable food is undeniable. Our projects seek to highlight these emerging alternative paths that need to be explored and developed. 

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Hemp's origins 

 

Hemp, whose scientific name is Cannabis sativa L, is a crop that has been cultivated by humans for thousands of years. Cannabis' ancestor was born millions of years ago in northern Eurasia. It spread, adapting to the climates it encountered. This adaptation preceded human action, as the ancestor of Cannabis evolved into divergent varieties, notably Cannabis sativa, from which fiber is extracted, and Cannabis indica, which developed a biosynthetic capacity to produce THC. Indeed, the massive spread of the species is largely attributed to the actions of humans, who quickly seized on this precious resource to meet their vital needs. Hemp provided many services in traditional societies around the world, right up until the industrialization of the 20th century. 

What textiles is the “Shroud for the Living Dead” made from? 

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The sheet that makes up the two outer panels of the shroud was created using hand scutching machines. Women crushed the retted hemp (soaked in water to loosen the fibers), spun it, and either wove it or had it woven by local weavers. The central panel is made of contemporary hemp textile, purchased from VirgoCoop, a cooperative that (re)structures the hemp textile industry in Occitanie. With this assembly, we are framing the contemporary textile industry from its ancestor, the artisanal and domestic creation of fabric.