Fungi, Anarchist designers

Exhibition
Fungi – better known as molds or mushrooms – satisfy many human needs. Today, fungi are being embraced as a new, on-trend material in the worlds of design and architecture. This exhibition offers a counterpoint to that human-centered approach. Under no circumstances was it to become yet another presentation of utensils or building blocks cultivated from fungal mycelium. ‘Sustainable’ matte-white or beige mycelium vases, lampshades, and insulation panels would not do justice to the story that Tsing and Zhou want to tell. They present fungi as independent organisms that thrive in unique, multi-species environments and in the ruins of capitalism. “Fungi challenge our human desire to control and dominate the world.”

design
In the exhibition, the spatial logic shifts from human control to a fungus-driven system. A mycelium-like structure forms the constant element. Three semi-transparent layers create open, porous zones that define space without closing it off. The three halls follow a recognizable sequence but remain interconnected, allowing visitors to move freely between them. The material can be printed on, projected onto, and lit from both sides, turning it into a medium for image and movement. Throughout the halls, the structure changes position: from a restrained underlayer within a strict grid, through a darker, denser network, to a pronounced spatial presence. Light moves freely through the layers, shifting in color and intensity, giving the entire space an organic, dynamic quality.