Mort Vivant

Mort Vivant (Undead) explores the fragile, liminal space between life and death in relation to the natural world, examining the cyclical and inseparable relationship between creation and destruction. Rather than positioning these forces as opposites, the exhibition considers them as continuous, overlapping states, processes, bringing to light the flux in the imobile. Through distinct yet harmonious practices of bio-design and pure analog photography, Bella Stern and Shirley Thomas engage with this transitory stage using different material and temporal perspectives. The works invite slow, intentional observation and connection, bringing to light often unseen and uncertain stages of transformation. 

Bella Stern’s work explores our relationship to the objects and materials that surround us, focusing on their shifting social lives and states of becoming. She engages the notion of the “undead” through the use of her pieces and through her collaboration with mycelium, the root-like network of fungi. Each vase is designed to hold a single flower, directing focus toward the gradual transformation of an individual blossom. In contrast, the petri dishes function as contained microcosms, where entire ecosystems unfold.

Shirley Thomas's black-and-white film photography series explores the in-between state of “not entirely alive nor entirely dead,” drawing a parallel to water, a symbol of emotional depth in many cultures. Here, ice becomes a metaphor for suspended human emotions: a state of latency where life continues, even when sensations seem frozen. The artist explore the subtlety of this state through micro-transformations found in the ice and ourselves, often invisible but always active.

Together, the artists dissect the moments between beginnings and endings, engaging with the unknown and bringing these ephemeral stages into focus. Mort Vivant (Undead) invites viewers to linger within these thresholds, encouraging an awareness of life as an ongoing negotiation between emergence, decay, and renewal.

Curated by Uncover

Artwork and Exhibition Design by Bella Stern and Shirley Thomas

Galerie Paul*13 Paris, FR

2026