Workshop

Building With Mycelium

with Arne Hendriks

27 Mayıs 2022

We're building towers for feral pigeons with waste mycelium from an oyster mushroom farmer. Building with living stuff is challenging but fun and a great reminder that it is not all about control or catering to the needs of the human species only. If we are to successfully thrive together with other species we need to add typologies and building materials to the city environment. We build pigeon towers because pigeons are incredible navigators, fantastic cleaners-up of street left-overs, powerful cultural metaphors of hope and peace, and a nice companion species. They also produce some of the world's finest fertiliser. Up until the 19th century pigeon towers produced a lot of the fertiliser needed to support growing populations. When artificial fertiliser was discovered most towers became neglected, as did their inhabitants. We want to change that.

The towers are build with living waste mycelium from the oyster mushroom agri-industry. It takes a bit of practise and a bit of experience to work with this unpredictable material but ones you get the hang of it it is a very generous and rewarding material. During the workshop we want to share what we've learned, and talk about some of the reasoning behind bringing these iconic living structures back into the cityscape.

Please join Arne Hendriks as he shares some of the practical and not so practical aspects of working with living matter for a living environment.


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Another unexpected rush of sprouting mushrooms - Anne Lakeman

What you will do 

In this workshop you will learn all about how to love our fellow flighted friends and create a home for them within the pigeon towers at Mediamatic. Collaborating together in the creation of the towers and the pigeon boxes will not only provide you with a space to learn about working with living materials like mycelium, but how to make space for “the other” in our daily lives: be that pigeons, fungi, spores, insects, slugs, algae, etc.

Arne will introduce you to the towers already constructed, assist you in the creation of your own pigeon box, introduce you into working with the living mycelium as well as share all of his experience so far. This workshop is a space for collaboration and exploration surrounding everything to do with creating space for a once-loved and now frowned upon species. 

You will learn about building with mycelium, pigeons; their lifestyle and history, some basic carpentry, lazy composting, and how to make space for “the other” in our daily lives.

Arne Hendriks

Arne Hendriks is an artist and researcher on human ecology and the near future of our species in relation to other species. He believes we should be more generous towards ourselves in allowing radical new ideas and practices to re-define our relationship with the planet. In his practice he focusses on process rather than result. By patiently letting the findings of his research be his guide, he allows himself to constantly shift views and perspectives and the discovery of new realities.

Tickets

Full price 39 | Discount 30
We give a discount to students, artists and Stadspas holders. If this applies to you we might ask to see your kvk nr/portfolio or student card for this option.

Information

27th of May, 14:00-16:00
We maintain a minimum of 5 participants.
Please note that, unless everyone speaks Dutch, this workshop will be held in English.
For questions please e-mail workshop@mediamatic.nl.

We are taking corona safety into account at our workshops. 
Read our ticket terms and conditions here.