⤳ Strong wind events foster leaning trees
⤳ HYPOGEA: Beneath the light of days, different rhythms flow
⤳ HYPOGEA: Beneath the light of days, different rhythms flow
Underground models
2023 — Exploring the delicate balance between natural occurrences and intentional design, ‘Underground Models’ is a project that immerses itself in mycelium’s own agency as an entity, model, and framework.
A model is a simplified representation used to understand, analyse, design, or simulate a system, to make predictions or gain insights. Albeit with regional variations, what multiple cultures have in common is a fascination towards fungi, those elusive yet fascinating species. As current research attempts to make use of mycology and its intrinsic structures in order to pursue sustainability, what can we still learn through observation? What have we been learning, and imagining, so far? And can these endeavours act for us as an accurate mirror?
Alongside research, it’s conceptualised as an art installation, featuring a circular sculptural element, referecing pixie rings, made of segments of Reishi mushroom mycelium; and a looping short film drawing visual and conceptual parallels between mycelium hyphae growth, water-spores interactions, and how meanings and readings are generated, recalled, perpetuated.
Project ideated within the Funken program/residency.
Initial development in 2023 supported by Funken Academy, founded by Klub Solitaer e.V and partners Fraunhofer IWU & ENAS, WRO Art Center, Ars Electronica.
Many thanks to Noor Stenfert Kroese for the mentoring within the Funken Academy program.
Initial fungi labwork carried out at Fraunhofer IWU (Dresden, Germany) and at Ars Electronica BioLab (Linz, Austria).
Sound design by Matteo Dian.
Film preview:
Underground models, Excerpt 2, audio
Sometimes, caused by fairies or elves dancing in a circle.
If humans joined the dance they would be punished, and they would dance until exhaustion.
Sometimes, dragons are to blame. They use their fiery tails to burn them,
forever inscribed into the forest floor. Fire circles.
Sometimes, rather witches rings. Where witches dance together,
and dance on Walpurgis night, six months before Halloween.
Sometimes, portals to another world. If you step in, you are transported,
sometimes upside down. Sometimes forever trapped.
Sometimes, just a dinner table. For fairies company only, you shouldn’t join.
Yet the table expands each year, as new guests approach.
Sometimes, good luck for you. It means fairies are nearby,
their village underground. The neighbours you wished for.
👆︎
The circular sculptural element references pixie/fairy/witches/... rings,
and is made of segments of Reishi mushrooms mycelium.
photo: Johannes Richter
installation view from Funken at Villa Rosenberg, Chemnitz DE, 2023