Raising Awareness of Remembrance – Works of Artists as Part of Invisible Cultural Heritage

The present study discusses invisible heritage in our cultural environment through cross-disciplinary research of historical grave markers. Cemeteries present a complex situation with many celebrated artists’ works – and graves – deteriorating at cemeteries. Due to their nature and location, grave monuments are outdoors sculptures which are not considered works of art as such, and normally are not maintained as part of outdoors sculpture conservation. Due to their materials, many of these works are currently in a severe state of deteriora-tion, at risk of disintegration. Since their maintenance is mostly the responsibility of private gravesite leaseholders, conser-vation of grave monuments is subject to permission. Studying deserted graves may require many kinds of background research. The preservation of these in many ways important historical monu-ments calls for expertise and would benefit from a collaboration of several fields, as well as new ways of looking into funerary art.