interventions
Last updated
Last updated
INTERVENTION 2.0
For my first intervention of the second term, I wanted to continue working with mycelium but shift my focus from pure experimentation to a more educational approach. My goal was to see if I could effectively explain the process to strangers—both those from the design world and those with no prior experience or knowledge of mycelium.
Me and Belen decided to host a mycelium workshop at Elisava. During the planning phase, one key aspect became clear: whatever we created had to be simple, but more importantly, it needed to communicate the essence of mycelium itself—rather than becoming just another forgotten object on a shelf. That’s how we came up with the idea of mycelium charms encased in plastic, allowing participants to carry them as accessories. This way, the pieces could spark conversations and spread awareness beyond the workshop.
Around 20 people attended the workshop, making for an incredible experience. We created a mix of mycelium and pasteurized coffee grounds, a widely available waste material that almost everyone produces. The participants could choose between two types of mycelium: Pleurotus and a biokit strain. We prepared two batches, and everyone had the opportunity to experiment with their own charm.
INTERVENTION 2.1
Lately, I’ve felt a bit stuck, still waiting for the red mud to arrive. I didn’t want to create something just for the sake of it—without genuine interest or intention. At the same time, I’ve been thinking about how to integrate technology into my work, so I saw this as a chance to explore new directions, even if they don’t seem — at least for now — directly connected to my project.
I attended a workshop on circuit bending, a topic I knew nothing about. It was both fascinating and challenging, but I managed to grasp the very basics. While it might not link clearly to my current work yet, it opened a door to another field and gave me ideas about how technology could play a role in future experiments
INTERVENTIONS 2.2-3
Given the continuity and shared focus of my last two interventions, I have decided to document them together. These experiments mark the beginning of my primary research phase, an investigation that requires time and iterative adjustments to yield meaningful insights.
Context
In light of increasing resource depletion and environmental challenges, traditional material production often overlooks the potential of reclaimed and alternative materials. This project operates at the intersection of research, industry, and craftsmanship, advocating for experimental processes, open knowledge sharing, and hands-on engagement.
Open-ended exploration of the interaction between mycelium, a self-assembling biological material, and red mud, an industrial byproduct of aluminium extraction typically considered waste. While mycelium has been extensively studied in material design, sustainability, and biofabrication, its potential synergy with red mud seems to remains an uncharted area of research.
This project investigate the interaction between mycelium and red mud, a toxic byproduct of aluminum extraction. It seeks to understand whether mycelium can use red mud as a substrate, opening paths for bioremediation and material experimentation. Beyond scientific inquiry, this process aspires to embrace open collaboration—imagining future community workshops, online platforms, and educational initiatives. By blending biological growth with industrial residue, the work invites new ways of thinking about materials—shifting the focus from waste to potential.
Can red mud serve as a viable substrate for mycelium growth?
Could this process contribute to bioremediation by repurposing a problematic material in a meaningful way?
Experimental Process
To initiate this investigation, I prepared a material mixture consisting of:
20 g of hemp
20 g of mycelium sourced from a reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) growth kit
5 g of red mud
In addition of this initial experiment, I divided the prepared mixture into three Petri dishes, each subjected to a different sealing condition to observe how airflow and humidity affect the colonization process:
Open Petri dish – Fully exposed to ambient air.
Completely sealed dish – Wrapped with film to prevent airflow.
Partially sealed dish – Covered but with small perforations to allow controlled airflow.
The samples were then placed inside a controlled-environment incubator at 23°C, a temperature suitable for reishi mycelium development.
