MYCOLOGICAL STORIES

Mycological Stories is an exhibition of images, material samples, tests, prototypes and models of experiments and speculations of mycelium objects and environments. The subterranean portion of mushrooms, mycelium has played a central role in a paradigmatic shift happening in design, away from materials which are extracted toward materials that are grown. Design education is leading this shift, as exemplified in the exhibited work of students and academic staff in spatial design at Monash University, architecture at Swinburne University of Technology, and industrial design at Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. Mycological Stories presents a range of ideas, from the practical and purposeful to the poetic and playful, which probe the possibilities of this versatile biocomposite. Some works explore the material composition and method of growth, while other works explore performance in relation to strength, smell, colour, texture and longevity. Other works explore possible forms and applications. Large poster prints present outcomes of testing procedures, trial projects in situ, and speculations on possible futures.

Mycological Stories exhibition at
Grimshaw Architecture, Melbourne, Australia 18 -22 March 2022

curated by Gyungju Chyon, John Sadar, Canhui Chen, Mia Tiernan, Cynthia Cheng