Mycological Making -

Embracing fungi as making companions




Mycological Making is a method that proposes eschewing established/legitimated manufacturing practices by embracing fungi as making companions. This first iteration of MM took place at the Deptford Junk Market (South East London). After a series of on-location workshops, collectively produced the Deptfordmarkeae genus, comprised of 3 species of new fungi: Lion’s Mane Howler, Elektromagnellus Phoneger and Ringsulla Hermetica.

Ecology


Fungi have a unique way of living together with other organisms by performing symbiotic strategies of survival, they are vital for the cycling and exchanging of nutrients in all known environments that can sustain life. Fungi are even willing to perform their duties in very damaged or polluted ones where most plants, animals or bacteria wouldn’t dare to. Why not bring that same quirky and symbiotical spirit to the way we relate to the things we, as humans, have made?


Species


Lion’s Mane Howler



Elektromagnellus Phoneger





Ringsulla Hermetica






Habitat and distribution



Deptford Junk Market

Deptford Junk Market


Reproduction



This adventure of blurred boundaries, or rather, symbiotical entanglement of biology, electrical engineering and design has already enabled to explore objects’ (or rather the artificial’s) possibilities; practices in mycorrhiza. The spores of Mycological Making have been released and intend to find new spaces to thrive and, as fungi, blossom bountifully, recklessly (and maybe invasively). Hopefully, this will also allow for telling stories, creating worlds that drift from the pervasive anthropocentrism we are inadvertently used to while reconnecting with some of our fellow critters of planet Earth.


Classification

Domain: Anthropogenic

Kingdom: Speculative

Division: Interspecies Thinking

Class: Post-human Design

Order: Counter-industrial

Family: Mycological Making

Genus: Deptfordmakeae

Species:
Lion’s Mane Howler
Elektromagnellus Phoneger
Ringsulla Hermetica