Exhibition:

Paddestoelen Paradijs

Urban Mushroom Farm and New Materials Lab

24 Sep 2011
4 Dec 2012

Paddestoelen Paradijs was a little patch of mushroom paradise in the center of Amsterdam. Learn how to grow and prepare your own mushrooms, and join us on fungi scavenger hunts. Explore the world of mushrooms, fungus, and bacteria through art works and lectures. Imagine what it would mean to be able to replace plastic with a biodegradable fungi-based alternative: mycelium.

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View of the Paddestoelen Paradijs exhibition - With Bodies of Change by Maurizio Montalti, Tuimelaar by Titia Ex, Fungi by Lizan Freijsen, and Mur de Double Concentré de Tomate by Michel Blazy. In the right corner on the table are samples of new material research being conducted. Abel

Art

Mushrooms remain a source of inspiration for every generation of artists. View the world of fungi through the eyes of contemporary artists who are working with fungi in its many forms. From a giant moldy tomato wall to magnified images of fungal cultures, we are exploring and experimenting with this new and complex world. Our artworks are constantly growing with the exhibition, including a decomposing 'body' slowly being overgrown by tiny mushrooms. We also have music being made by falling mushroom spores and radioactive mushroom photographs from the forests of Fukushima.

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Radioactive mushrooms - Mushrooms from the forest, by a Japanese photographer Takashi Homma. Simone Schoutens

Video of the Secret Sounds of Spores installation

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Picture of 'Mur de Double Concentre de Tomate' at Mediamatic Bank - Fungal-flora on our tomatopaste-wall is florishing after 10 days on display. Part of the Paddestoelen Paradijs exhibition Anna Meijer, Govert de Jong

Library

Sit down in a comfy chair and find out all about what has been written on fungi. From philosophical notes and the entire range of ethnomycology to descriptive guides and children's books. Browse through the entire library here.

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Paddestoelen Paradijs bibliotheek - Part of Paddestoelen Paradijs at Mediamatic BANK. Simone Schoutens

New Materials Lab

Transforming into a more eco-friendly and self sustaining society is one of the main challenges of the 21st century. Mycelium (the roots of fungi) can be used to literally grow a biodegradable material that can replace Styrofoam and other plastics. What does this mean? How can we use fungi to radically change eco-unfriendly production processes? Can we kill plastic? Paddestoelen Paradijs is a first, playful step towards a larger design initiative that will stimulate the cultural and artistic potential of innovative design solutions and sustainable materials. Fungi are the new plastic!

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24-09-2011 Fomes Fomentarius material - Paddestoelen Paradijs - A display of the material research for the Fomes Fomentarius project. This project is part of the Paddestoelen Paradijs exhibition. Govert de Jong

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Mycelium-based packaging material - Made from seed husks and mycelium (fungi roots). Similar to foams (for instance Styrofoam), but eco-friendly and made of natural materials. Fungi are the new plastic! Govert de Jong

Clean room

A clean room is a space with a controlled level of contamination. That means it has very, very few particles, like dust, in the air. Substrate for the cultivation of mushrooms is made in such a room. We built this clean room ourselves so that we can experiment with growing our own mushrooms. Experience what it's like to work in a clean room and participate in experiments and workshops with us.

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People sitting in front of the Clean Room - Magic Mushroom Workshop. Picture taken at the opening of the Paddestoelen Paradijs exhibition . Govert de Jong

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Mushroom farm - Sacks with straw and mushroom sprawn

More information

Open Wednesday through Sunday, from 13.00 - 18.00. Entrance: €5,00 for a one month membership. The membership gives you unlimited access to the exhibition for one month and a discount for the Over Datum Eetclub and the Ignite Amsterdam and salon events.

Vijzelstraat 68, 1017 HL Amsterdam. For information about group visits, call us on: 020 - 6389901 or send us an e-mail.

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Tuimelaar installation view - A work by Titia Ex from 2003, on show in the Paddestoelen Paradijs exhibition at Mediamatic Bank. The sculpture "Tuimelaar" is actually a tumbling chair. It was in the Paddestoelen Paradijs show because its close resemblance to a mushroom. Material: resin. Size: approximately 1 meter high. Photo by Anna Meijer. Titia Ex, Anna Meijer

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Mushrooms in the vitrines at Mediamatic BANK - Part of the Paddestoelen Paradijs exhibition: an urban mushroom farm in the center of Amsterdam. Anna Meijer