Upon entering the exhibition, your eyes will be drawn to a collection of suspended surfaces and objects. Flanking these are a collection of photographic images. Amidst these are a collection of curious objects, from material samples to sculptures to architectural models, set atop tables and plinths.

Mycological Stories is an exhibition of images, material samples, tests, prototypes and models of experiments and speculations of mycelium objects and environments. The subterranean portion of mushrooms, mycelium has played a central role in a paradigmatic shift happening in design, away from materials which are extracted towards materials that are grown. Design education is leading this shift, as exemplified in the exhibited work of students and academic staff in spatial design at Monash University, architecture at Swinburne University of Technology, industrial design at Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, and biomaterials at University of the Arts London – Central St Martin’s.

Mycological Stories presents a range of ideas, from the practical and purposeful to the poetic and playful, which probe the possibilities of this versatile biocomposite. Full-size prototypes of spatial dividers will sit alongside scale models of built environments, material samples and lab cultures. Some works explore the material composition and method of growth, while other works explore performance in relation to strength, smell, colour, texture and longevity. Still other works explore possible forms and applications. Large poster prints present outcomes of testing procedures, trial projects in situ, and speculations on possible futures.