Mycological Stories.
Mycological Stories for Melbourne Design Week 2022 - a group show presented by Mia Tiernan, Cynthia Cheng, Canhui Chen, John Sader and Gyungju Chyon. 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 towards materials that are grown. Design education is leading this shift, as exemplified in the exhibition 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.
Work by Canhui Chen.
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. Full-size prototypes of spatial dividers will sit alongside scale models of built environments, material samples and lab cultures. Some works explore the material composition and method of growth, while other works explore performance in relation to strength, smell, colour, texture and longevity. Still other works explore possible forms and applications. Large poster prints present outcomes of testing procedures, trial projects in situ, and speculations on possible futures.
