Digestion

Nordskoven

Digestion is a straw ball filled with oyster mushroom mycelium, suspended between two trees in a hemp rope. Oyster mushroom mycelium goes through several life stages: First, a slow incubation phase, during which the mycelium “eats” the straw—that is, converts it into more mycelium. During this phase, the sculpture hangs from a rope, safe from snails and other predators. The incubation phase ends when the mycelium has grown strong enough to “eat” the very rope from which the sculpture hangs, triggering the very rapid introduction phase: The sculpture plummets to the ground, and the mature mycelium spreads across the forest floor. Here, the final phase begins, which is the mycelium’s integration into the forest environment. The mycelium now has the opportunity to settle permanently, grow mushrooms, and reproduce, but it also risks being eaten by other species in the forest. Will the mycelium dominate the forest floor or trigger explosive growth in wildlife?
“Digestion” is part of a series of four works in Deep Forest Art Land: “Extremity,” “Passage,” “Digestion,” and “Plateau.”