Mycelium, the subterranean portion of mushrooms, plays a central role in a shift away from materials that are extracted toward materials that are grown. Its material properties allow a wide variety of industrial applications, such as insulation, packaging, textile, and furnishings. It also offers an excellent opportunity for a new cottage industry type, as it is easy to grow with simple tools at home.
As it grows on organic substrates, it is presented as biodegradable and not harmful to the environment. Although it promises environmental friendliness, how does it reintegrate into the natural world? Snails like eating mycelium. They leave trails on its surface as they move and eat it. How does it change with the weather?
The project tells the story of a set of mycelium stools. These are placed in different locations in Victoria, Australia, and New York, USA. Stools will be photographed on a weekly basis, documenting their changes. For example, a stool installed in Apollo Bay has been knocked over by a nosy creature. When it rains, it turns brown. When it dries, it turns back to white again. A wallaby tasted its edge one day. Depending upon each stool's surrounding environment, it may exhibit different changes through the winter in Australia and summer in the USA.
Documentation of these changes will be presented on two websites alongside observational notes:
www.littlewonder.design
www.growerycollective.org
The website will launch in October and will be updated regularly with the changes. We do not know what will happen to them; thus, it will be an experimental process.
Image: courtesy of Gyungju Chyon and Yu Nong Khew.