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Brown backdrop with an oval mirror in the center that reads " Everything Will Be Taken Away" in capital letters.

Exhibition

Afterlives: Contemporary Art in the Byzantine Crypt

Through January 25, 2026

Now on view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 302

Free with Museum admission

Plan Your Visit All exhibitions

Overview Exhibition Objects

I Want My Spot Back, Audio recording of performance (28 min) — I Want My Spot Back
2011-2012

"Damaged Bone Series", Michael Aschenbrenner American, Glass, fabric, wire, twigs — "Damaged Bone Series"
Michael Aschenbrenner (American, born Pomona, California, 1949)
1990

Body as Shell, Alwar Balasubramaniam Indian, Sandstone — Body as Shell
Alwar Balasubramaniam (Indian, born 1971)
2011–15

Point of Contact, Louise Bourgeois American, Bronze — Point of Contact
Louise Bourgeois (American, Paris 1911–2010 New York)
1967–68

Silenus, the Tutor of Dionysos, Bone, Byzantine — Silenus, the Tutor of Dionysos
Byzantine
4th–7th century

Bone Carving, Possibly of a Dionysiac Revel, Ivory, Byzantine — Bone Carving, Possibly of a Dionysiac Revel
Byzantine
300–500

Fragment with Personifications of Victory and the Nile, Ivory, Byzantine — Fragment with Personifications of Victory and the Nile
Byzantine
6th century

Fragment with Personifications of Victory and the Nile, Ivory, Byzantine — Fragment with Personifications of Victory and the Nile
Byzantine
6th century

Dionysos, Bone, Byzantine — Dionysos
Byzantine
4th–6th century

Richly Decorated Tunic, Wool; tapestry weave — Richly Decorated Tunic
660–870 (radiocarbon date, 95% probability)

Arm and Hand Fragment, Marble, Coptic — Arm and Hand Fragment
Coptic
4th–7th century

Fragment of a Male Torso with a Tree Trunk, Marble, Coptic — Fragment of a Male Torso with a Tree Trunk
Coptic
4th–7th century

Fragment of a Female Figure, Marble, Coptic — Fragment of a Female Figure
Coptic
4th–7th century

Tunic with Dionysian Ornament, Undyed linen with tapestry woven wool decorations — Tunic with Dionysian Ornament
probably 5th century

Fragment of a Stela, Wood, paint, Coptic — Fragment of a Stela
Coptic
4th century

Plaque with an Eros, Bone, traces of red and blue paint, Coptic — Plaque with an Eros
Coptic
4th–5th century

Plaque from a Casket with a Dancing Woman, Bone with red polychromy, Coptic — Plaque from a Casket with a Dancing Woman
Coptic
4th–5th century

Plaque from a Casket with a bird, Bone with polychromy, Coptic — Plaque from a Casket with a bird
Coptic
4th–5th century

Fragment of a Plaque with a Standing Woman, Bone, Coptic — Fragment of a Plaque with a Standing Woman
Coptic
4th century

Ready Now Now (Lynch Fragment), Melvin Edwards American, Welded steel — Ready Now Now (Lynch Fragment)
Melvin Edwards (American, born Houston, 1937)
1988

RFK Funeral Train, Paul Fusco American, Chromogenic print — RFK Funeral Train
Paul Fusco (American, 1930–2020)
Laumont Studio
June 8, 1968, printed 2006

RFK Funeral Train, Paul Fusco American, Chromogenic print — RFK Funeral Train
Paul Fusco (American, 1930–2020)
Laumont Studio
June 8, 1968, printed 2006

RFK Funeral Train, Paul Fusco American, Chromogenic print — RFK Funeral Train
Paul Fusco (American, 1930–2020)
Laumont Studio
June 8, 1968, printed 2006

Glass Gardens Cask II; Tomb Jewel II, William Harper American, Wood, leather, glass, plastic, shell, specimen butterfly, mixed media metals, cord, gold — Glass Gardens Cask II; Tomb Jewel II
William Harper (American, born Bucyrus, Ohio, 1944)
1999

Persephone, Anita Huffington American, Pink alabaster with granite base — Persephone
Anita Huffington (American, born Baltimore, Maryland, 1934)
1999

Bone plaque with Female Dancer, Bone, Late Roman/Early Byzantine — Bone plaque with Female Dancer
Late Roman/Early Byzantine
4th–6th century

Panel of Venus, “Pudica Type”, Bone, Late Roman/Early Byzantine — Panel of Venus, “Pudica Type”
Late Roman/Early Byzantine
4th–6th century

Panel with Warrior Resting, Bone, Late Roman/Early Byzantine — Panel with Warrior Resting
Late Roman/Early Byzantine
4th–6th century

Wise Like That, Whitfield Lovell American, Charcoal on wood panel with iron hinge, nails, screws and found metal and wood objects — Wise Like That
Whitfield Lovell (American, born Bronx, New York 1959)
2000

Amategram Series - The Vivification of the Flesh, Ana Mendieta American, born Cuba, Black acrylic paint on bark paper — Amategram Series - The Vivification of the Flesh
Ana Mendieta (American (born Cuba), Havana 1948–1985 New York)
1981

"Memento Mori" Brooch with stand from the "Thanatos Series", Bruce Metcalf American, Brooch: Boxwood, diamonds, 18K gold, cotton thread<br/>Stand: Painted basswood — "Memento Mori" Brooch with stand from the "Thanatos Series"
Bruce Metcalf (American, born Amherst, Massachusetts, 1949)
2001

Cemetery, Gabriel Orozco Mexican, Chromogenic print — Cemetery
Gabriel Orozco (Mexican, born Jalapa Enriquez, 1962)
2002

Everything #4, Edition 3 of 8, Adrian Piper American, Oval mirror with gold leaf engraved text in mahogany frame. — Everything #4, Edition 3 of 8
Adrian Piper (American, born New York, 1948)
2004

Everything #4, Edition 4 of 8, Adrian Piper American, Oval mirror with gold leaf engraved text in mahogany frame — Everything #4, Edition 4 of 8
Adrian Piper (American, born New York, 1948)
2004

Everything #4, Edition 5 of 8, Adrian Piper American, Oval mirror with gold leaf engraved text in mahogany frame — Everything #4, Edition 5 of 8
Adrian Piper (American, born New York, 1948)
2004

Everything #4, Edition 6 of 8, Adrian Piper American, Oval mirror with gold leaf engraved text in mahogany frame. — Everything #4, Edition 6 of 8
Adrian Piper (American, born New York, 1948)
2004

Everything #4, Edition 7 of 8, Adrian Piper American, Oval mirror with gold leaf engraved text in mahogany frame — Everything #4, Edition 7 of 8
Adrian Piper (American, born New York, 1948)
2004

Everything #4, Edition 8 of 8, Adrian Piper American, Oval mirror with gold leaf engraved text in mahogany frame. — Everything #4, Edition 8 of 8
Adrian Piper (American, born New York, 1948)
2004

Preface to the third edition_Acknowledgment (Coupe II)
, Walid Raad Lebanese-American, 3D print plaster composite, paint — Preface to the third edition_Acknowledgment (Coupe II)
Walid Raad (Lebanese-American, born Chbanieh 1967)
2014

Cryopreservation Unit, Cryonics Institute, Clinton Township, Michigan, Taryn Simon American, Chromogenic print — Cryopreservation Unit, Cryonics Institute, Clinton Township, Michigan
Taryn Simon (American, born 1975)
2004, printed 2007

ENOCH (display unit), Tavares Strachan Bahamian, Bronze, 24k gold, steel, radar retroreflectors and sacred air blessed by Shinto priest — ENOCH (display unit)
Tavares Strachan (Bahamian-American, born Nassau 1979)
2015–17

Enibas, Gunnar Theel German, Patinated steel — Enibas
Gunnar Theel (German, born 1941)
1992

Three Women In A Country Funeral, Long Xian, Shaanxi Province
, Liu Zheng Chinese, Gelatin silver print — Three Women In A Country Funeral, Long Xian, Shaanxi Province
Liu Zheng (Chinese, born Hebei Province,1969)
2000

Plan Your Visit

Dates

Through January 25, 2026

The Met Fifth Avenue

Free with Museum admission

Plan Your Visit All exhibitions

Brown backdrop with an oval mirror in the center that reads " Everything Will Be Taken Away" in capital letters.