MEL(V.4/5) — MEL(V.7)
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The Life and Deaths of The Mels: Here Lie the Bones

Project Status

2015

Awarded sponsorship from Corbel 3D
​Vancouver, Canada
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Corbel 3D and anatomist Ian Nakamoto will execute a 3D scan of my body and using external landmarks and medical scans, design a 3D model of my disarticulated skeletal system.
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2016

Awarded Judith Dawn Memorial Fund Grant
​Chicago, IL

Grant supports travel and accommodations to Vancouver, Canada for Corbel 3D scan.
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2017

Awarded Northwestern University Center for Interdisciplinary Research in the Arts Grant
​Evanston, IL

In addition to providing further support for the 3D scan and design of my skeletal system, the grant supports collaboration with Michael Beltran and the Segal Design Institute's Ford Rapid Prototyping Lab to 3D print the disarticulated bones. Beltran is the CAD/CAM/CAE Teaching Lab Instructor and a Lecturer at Northwestern University.
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June

3D scan is executed by Ian Nakamoto using Corbel 3D's custom-built 144x DSLR photogrammetry rig.​

Image credits: Iris Chia

September

Nakamoto completed the 3D design files for the disarticulated skeletal system.​​
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​October

​Printing began at Segal Design Institute's Ford Rapid Prototyping Lab.
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2018

Awarded an Individual Artist Grant from the City of Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events
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July

Trip to Norfolk, Conneticut
Met with Adam Paul Heller to discuss how to commemorate the first Mel-version, Melissa-Louise-Keiser. Heller will hand-carve Melissa-Louise-Keiser's grave marker. 
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This meeting with Heller will be the basis for a short film, co-directed by Diego Ongaro.
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August

Chicago artist John Preus began building Melissa-Louise-Keiser's casket.
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2019
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Awarded an Individual Artist Grant from the City of Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events
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April

Trip to Norfolk, Connecticut
Worked with co-director Diego Ongaro to make a first cut of the short film.
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June

Brian McBride joined the project, providing scores for the short film.
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John Preus completed Melissa-Louise-Keiser's casket.

Image credit: Clarissa Bonet

September

Post-processing on the short film is completed. The Life and Deaths of The Mels is ready for screening.
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November

Artist and fashion designer Mark Mitchell joins the project, co-designing the funeral attire for the Seventh Mel to wear to Melissa-Louise-Keiser's burial. 

Sketches by the Seventh Mel of Melissa-Louise-Keiser's dresses; photo of Melissa-Louise-Keiser.
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2020
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​January

The Life and Deaths of The Mels: Here Lie the Bones opens at Wedge Projects, the first public exhibition of objects created for the project. The exhibition also premiered the short film. 
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April

(Postponed due to COVID) Keiser will serve as the Alice Kaplan Institute for the Humanities Artist in Residence in Spring 2020, under their annual theme "Memorialization" (April-June).
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December

Mark Mitchell completes construction of the Seventh Mel's funeral attire for the burial of Melissa-Louise-Keiser.
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2021
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January
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A new sketch for Melissa-Louise-Keiser's gravestone is completed with Adam Paul Heller. An order for the stone—buff limestone—is placed with an Indiana quarry.
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March–June

(Rescheduled from 2020 due to COVID) Keiser serves as the Alice Kaplan Institute for the Humanities Artist in Residence through the Department of Art, Theory, Practice in Spring 2020.
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May

Gravediggers Kris Bloedow and Bill Jessen co-lead a practicum with Keiser, teaching Northwestern students how to manually dig graves. For more information, see here.
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July

Dye test 

Collaborators and contributors

Adam Paul Heller, Mark Mitchell, Diego Ongaro, John Preus
Michael Beltran, Clarissa Bonet, Iris Chia, Nat Jencks, Xavier Marsais, Brian McBride, Aaron Miller, Ian Nakamoto, Julien Ngo-Trong, Danny Vecchione

Support

The Life and Deaths of The Mels: Here Lie the Bones is partially supported by an Individual Artists Program Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events, as well as a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency, a state agency through federal funds provided by the National Endowment for the Arts. It is also funded by The Graduate School Center for Interdisciplinary Research in the Arts, Alice Kaplan Institute for the Humanities, and Weinberg College at Northwestern University. Finally, the project is also supported by the Judith Dawn Memorial Fund and Wedge Projects.

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