Fungi Matters: A comparison of contemporary fungi imagery between art, design, and architecture

Over the last 25 years, (engineered) living materials have been gaining interest in media art, design, and architecture. Among these living materials, different types of fungi are some of the most popular. Using biotechnological methods, some types of fungi have been engineered to grow having properties similar to leather or plastics. In addition to their investigation in the context of the natural sciences, fungi have also become of interest in the humanities, and are used as tools to think with when discussing the entanglement between humans and other species within post-humanities, environmental humanities, and more-than-human design literature. While there is a growing body of research on the properties and applications of fungi, as well as on how they could help us think differently about the environment, comparatively little research has focused on conceptualizations of fungi in art, design, and architecture and on how audiences receive, experience and interact with such materials. Using the lens of material iconography, a theory developed by art historian Monika Wagner stating that materials carry socio-cultural meanings which influence their perception and reception, we investigate the connotations of fungi in art, design, and architecture. While in artistic projects fungi are depicted both positively and negatively, in architecture and design, fungi are largely described positively, instrumentalised, and associated with sustainability.