Workshop, Video + Installation;
mushroom, Old stuff like doors, Windows, clocks, photographs, etc,
Self-rescue workshop - Dwelling in the catastrophe
In the face of disaster, how can people save themselves in the midst of desolation? This work, based on the favorable growth characteristics of mushrooms, seeks methods to reconstruct habitats and gather people for this purpose. Through practices such as sharing, discussions, revisiting old places, building, and cooking, the project explores imaginative responses to a doomsday crisis. The project consists of four workshops held weekly. In the end, the outcomes of the workshops will fill an exhibition space over the course of a month. Participants leave behind their imprints and engage in dialogues within the space, transforming it into a focal point for community energy.
The dwelling of the future is built upon the unique biological traits of oyster mushrooms, utilizing their robust vitality and adeptness at flourishing in darkness and challenging conditions. Envisioned as companions for humanity in the reconstruction of lives amidst apocalyptic crises, these mushrooms embody resilience in extreme environments. Leveraging the powerful, penetrating and connecting capabilities of mycelium, we can craft a residence woven from fungal threads—a structure that serves as both a shelter and a farm for cultivating mushrooms. This forms the basis for our creative exploration of navigating and adapting to the challenges of an apocalyptic crisis.
The workshop focused on mushrooms as a topic to engage residents from the local community, with participants ranging from 3 to 40 years old. Throughout the workshop, residents shifted from passive information absorption to active involvement, contributing their stories and materials. During the third workshop, they collectively constructed the dwelling place, turning the project from being solely led by the organizer to a genuinely collective and spontaneous initiative, with everyone, myself included, deeply engaged.