Growing Matter

Description

How can hidden natural cycles be made tangible? This project acts as a didactic tool that shifts perspectives on fungi and demonstrates their material potential, offering an accessible, hands-on approach to mycelium.

Everyday waste, such as beverage cartons and toilet paper rolls, is collected to construct growing molds. The kit provides the living culture, while its packaging unfolds into a functional workspace and manual. Three distinct objects can be grown to physically experience the material’s properties: a birdhouse highlights its insulating capabilities, building blocks convey its structure and lightness, and heat-resistant coasters prove its everyday utility.

Collaborating with others to collect the required waste sparks curiosity, transforming the process into a shared social experience. Ultimately, the project initiates dialogues on circularity, placing mycelium directly into people’s hands and making sustainable production actively comprehensible.