The Convergence of the Touristic, the Domestic and the Numinous in Caribbean Grief
Melody Moulton
2025
Nine Nights is a long standing tradition in some Caribbean countries where there is a nine day period of celebration, following a death. This ritual is rooted in the spiritual belief that the spirit of the deceased remains on earth for nine days after they die. Formerly, this tradition involved a celebration on every one of the nights before the spirit’s departure. Most modern Jamaican families only throw a massive party on the ninth night, the night before the funeral service. My proposal responds to this specific condition and ritual in Jamaican homes and create a celebratory space to hold grief. It is a conceptual hotel, advertised as the Mourning Inn, built to house those celebrating the deceased for 9 nights. This siteless hotel comprises 9 floors with 9 rooms on each floor arranged in a 9 square grid. It is a satirical commentary on the ways in which the tourism industry hides reality. This hotel is not meant to be an idealized situation for these families, but instead a statement.