Dead as a Dodo? is an exhibition in the temporary exhibition space of the Naturkundemuseum Bamberg, located opposite the historic Bird Hall. Thomas Michel presents thirteen large-scale paintings depicting endangered and extinct bird species. All works are painted in inverted colours and can only be fully deciphered by inverting the colours on a smartphone. At the centre of the exhibition is the dodo as a symbol of human-made species extinction. The exhibition brings together historical natural history and contemporary painting, addressing biodiversity loss, mediated perception, and the question of how nature is increasingly experienced today through technological images. The historic Bird Hall serves as both the starting point and resonant space for the artistic work: its unique specimens and historic display cases are reinterpreted through the paintings. The exhibition connects past and present while offering a glimpse into a possible future in which many bird species may exist only as preserved memories.
Naturkundemuseum Bamberg, Fleischstraße 2, 96047 Bamberg, 4 September 2026 – 25 April 2027
