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Innovative Materials Workshop
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The Wednesday Journal of Cultural Insights.
Seven French designers and artists have collaborated with MycoWorks to create objects using Reishi, a biomaterial derived from mycelium, the root network of fungi.
Reishi is custom-grown to suit specific design requirements and can mimic the appearance of materials like wood, marble, or paper. It is versatile and malleable like fabric and can be dyed, embossed, varnished, or finished like leather.
Despite their distinct creative visions and unique points of view, they share a resolutely unique approach to design: deconstructing its norms and formalities and introducing new conceptions of environmental durability and sustainable design.
The resulting pieces, including folding screens, desks, and lighting fixtures, were displayed at Design Miami’s 2024 Paris edition as part of the **Mycelium Muse** exhibition. This project was a collaboration between MycoWorks and Paragone, a creative agency representing emerging designers and artists.
Each of the seven participants was tasked with designing an object that highlighted Reishi’s unique qualities. They were encouraged to showcase the material’s adaptability, focus on its natural durability, and preserve its original color.
The exhibition underscored Reishi’s potential to blend innovation with sustainability, offering an eco-friendly alternative to conventional materials.
“The variations and irregularities in some of our sheets became expressive entry points for exploring the mysteries of mycelium,”
MycoWorks creative director Xavier Gallego explains.
By granting creative freedom, MycoWorks allowed each designer to reimagine the ways in which Reishi could be used. This led to a wide variety of creations that celebrated the biomaterial’s texture, flexibility, and potential for artistic expression.
The project aimed to push the boundaries of material science while demonstrating how mycelium-based products can inspire both functional and aesthetic design.
The Mycelium Muse exhibition highlights the intersection of sustainability, innovation, and creativity, setting a precedent for future collaborations in art and design.
The Exhibition artists are Anna Le Corno, Fanny Perrier, Josephine Fossey, Marion Mailaender, Pauline Guerrier, Sarah Valente, Sophie Dries.
Photos by Felix Speller
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WAITLIST
Innovative Materials Workshop
Would you like to be informed about the program, dates and when we open inscriptions?
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