The seemingly unusual show invites visitors to explore the fascinating world of mushrooms through paintings, collages, stamps, site-specific installations, sculptures, interactive screen works and film pieces. Featuring works by thirty-five artists, designers and musicians, the curator goes for a different kind of show: “The idea of mushrooms felt like quite a natural progression from a lot of my exhibitions around technology”, she tells us. “There are so many strange inspiring facts around mushrooms that are influencing design, science, aesthetics, psychology that it felt really ripe for exploration”, she concludes. And so, be it through psychedelia or organic design, delve into one of the unmissable exhibitions this season and get to know it better through its curator.

I think it has to effect the art world and this is a conversation that is slowly coming to the fore – in particular with art fairs and the huge costs and waste during production and shipping across the industry. I think the industry has to do far more, but I think the government has to do even more. Why isn’t plastic illegal? Because of vested interest. We need legislation that means serious investment in alternatives.
I still believe culture is one of the most vital ways to influence people’s thinking about the relationship to each other and the world. The Mushrooms exhibition was really a way of making people think about their relationship to nature and the environment in a relatable, accessible way. Artists have always been thinking about sustainability – when they aren’t at the top end blue chip of the art market. Younger artists largely cannot afford fabrication. They are using what they can get their hands on, and that can mean much more interesting art too. Even paint is really just crushed stones and dirt with an ego.