Fermenta: Artists Lisa Mouchet and Marine Prunier Explore Death Rituals in New Book

Artist and illustrator Lisa Mouchet and artist and performer Marine Prunier, a former funeral professional, have released 'Fermenta', a collaborative book that explores the rituals, objects, and narratives associated with death. The 100-page publication, printed using Risograph and laser printing, combines Marine's texts and photos with Lisa's drawings and pastels, creating a dialogue between funeral legislation and the poetics of mortality. The project extends beyond the book to include publishing, performance, and exhibition, with a launch event in June that featured a performance and culinary installation, including bread shaped like a body. Mouchet and Prunier aim to challenge the capitalist funeral industry in France, highlighting alternatives like funeral cooperatives, which originated in Quebec in the early 20th century. The artists, both interested in the oneiric, mythology, and intimacy, bring distinct perspectives: Lisa's sensitive visual universe and Marine's lived experience with care and bodily decay. The book includes an additional sheet prompting readers to write a will or a message of friendship. Fermenta is described as a collaborative, experimental work fusing literature, philosophy, theatre, and activism, advocating for dignified death and safe grief. The project was featured on It's Nice That, with quotes from Marine and Lisa discussing the management of death and the resistance within the funeral industry.