Congratulations to Jerome and Kyle, one of the winning teams of Ecovative's Mycelium Design Contest 2019!
Q: What first sparked your interest in the realm of mycology?
A: Working with sustainable materials has always been one of our primary considerations when approaching new projects. Additionally, the rhizosphere is a tremendous source of inspiration. The development of structural myco-materials intersects both of these areas of interest.
Q: What exactly are you researching/working on?
A: We are creating a series of conceptual art installations and product concepts with overarching themes of sustainability, consumption, and human relationships. We’re interested in imagining better futures, by observing contemporary cultures, re-contextualizing old traditions, and using climate beneficial materials and production techniques.
Q: What is the purpose of your research/work?
A: Imagining new futures is a common theme for artists and designers. We live in a time where it has become a necessity to rethink our current trajectory as individuals and as a society. Through our work, we hope to empower others to build the futures they want to see, not the futures that feel inevitable.
Art has the power to initiate change, by confronting people with new stimuli in a way that requires them to interpret it and draw their own conclusions. This experience usually leads viewers to having a sense of ownership, an effective way to create a lasting impact.
Q: What do you like most about working with mushrooms/mycelium?
A: We’re interested in working with mycelium because it’s voluminous and can be grown sculpturally to shape physical spaces. The unfortunate nature of many art installations is that they are temporary, so the fact that mycelium forms can be returned to nature once they have served their purpose is a real advantage.
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