A matter of life and death

You could blame Stephen King or point a finger at Wes Craven, but the notion of cemeteries as places of fear and gore seems as tough to shatter as a granite headstone. But by no means has it always been that way. The Victorians regarded cemeteries as a final home, a place of comfort.

To this day, the Forest Hills Cemetery, which was established in 1848, is the ultimate haven for many Victorians (not to mention those who continue to be buried there.) The cemetery’s latest attraction, ‘‘Dwelling: Memory, Architecture & Place,’’ a series of 15 installations by 15 artists, taps that 19th-century awareness and evokes comfort and domesticity.

‘‘The Victorians wanted people to visit and walk around,’’ says Cecily Miller, executive director of Forest Hills Educational Trust, who also oversees the public-art projects. ‘‘It’s meant to be a place where the living come, not a place of isolation for the dead.’’

The exhibit is arranged so that it’s easy to spot the installations from a distance as you amble along the cemetery’s pastoral paths. Several graves suggest residential architecture — from steps that lead to where a doorway would stand to a space that resembles a front-yard garden plot. Many of the artists underscore the idea of gravesite as domicile.

In Nadya Volicer’s ‘‘Living Room,’’ a functioning rocking chair is the centerpiece of a colorful mosaic floor, assembled from wood recycled from demolished houses. Suspension filaments rigged with wood fragments connect the carpet-like floor to surrounding tree branches, creating a connection — and tension — between death and live natural elements. ‘‘A Place To Stay,’’ by Michael Beatty and Mike Newby, is an ornate birdhouse that echoes the Gothic Revival style that defined much Victorian design and is visible in the surrounding memorial structures. And Halsey Burgund takes a completely different approach in ‘‘One Hundred and Four Thousand,’’ a sound piece he developed through conversations with Forest Hills visitors and employees about the cemetery.

‘‘Dwelling’’ was unveiled late last month, but the opening event was rained out and is rescheduled for Sunday. It features ‘‘The Water Project,’’ a collaboration between visual artist Michael Dowling and dancer and choreographer Christine Bennett. The movement-based rumination on the concept of ‘‘dwelling’’ is performed by members of Bennett Dance Company to live cello accompaniment. Set on the banks of the cemetery’s Lake Hibiscus and on a floating dock, it explores what dwells in water — both tangible life and abstract energy.

NIGHT LIGHTS

The Buddhist Bon ceremony is not unlike Latin America’s Day of the Dead — an annual commemoration of departed loved ones. An integral part of the ritual is dispatching memorial lanterns on water, and it’s customarily done communally so that a fleet of lights drifts into the distance.

With its annual Lantern Festival, the Forest Hills Educational Trust has been making a community event of the ceremony on the cemetery’s picturesque Lake Hibiscus. This year’s memorial, which takes place tonight, marks its eighth year. Cecily Miller, executive director of Forest Hills Educational Trust, sees it as a means to connect with a person’s memory and think about the dead in a celebratory way with family and community.

A word to the wise: With up to 5,000 people expected to attend, parking ($5) could be scarce, so consider taking the T (Orange Line to Forest Hills stop). Flashlights are recommended for navigating after the ceremony.

For those expecting a rowdy street fair, be advised that the tone is festive and energetic during the earlier hours, and picnics are encouraged. A truly diverse event, there will be performances by Japanese drummers, dancers from Passion East, and a gospel ensemble. As the sun sets, the mood gets contemplative as a Scottish bagpiper’s melodies fill the landscape. You can take your delicate lantern ($10 donation), have it adorned by calligraphy artists, and send it off.

‘‘Seeing all the small lights travel across the water,’’ Miller said, ‘‘there’s universal imagery that draws on so much that’s shared across cultures — journey, transformation, hope, a light in the darkness.’’ —

Tonight’s Lantern Festival at Forest Hills Cemetery is from 6 to 8. Free.