Mycelium: A network for individuals to flourish together
INTRODUCED BY...
Project overview
Using the mycelium as a metaphor for a people’s network, this installation depicts the societal stakeholders and how they should stay connected. In a forest, the mycelium helps the plants in sharing nutrients. In society, we should share knowledge to create futures in which we can flourish together!
For nine days ‘our mushroom’ roamed the city of Eindhoven on a Mini Cooper during DDW 2022. It made people turn their heads and they even stopped the Mini to take a picture. The code below the mushroom referred to UT's spot at the Ketelhuisplein, where you could find the EDUBox with research projects related to health. In the EDUBox, visitors could find out the story behind the mycelium. It turned out to be a great way to talk about the bigger picture and the goals UT is aiming at.
- Results
This project was definitely different than any other. It went so well, that it was used in 2022 and 2023 as well. People actually stopped the car in the streets to take a picture of it. But to be fair, how often do you see a car with a bunch of giant mushrooms on them just driving around? If you see that, you kind of have to take a picture or else no one would believe you. We think it's safe to say that quite a few visitors joined DDW due to our eye-catching installation.
- Bonus content
What's the story?
In the real world, mushrooms use mycelium to connect to eachother underground to share resources, water, carbon, nitrogen and other materials. And this is a metaphor for our our society, meaning that institutions and organisations within our societies should do the same thing to share resources to achieve more success for the future.
To read more, click here.
Collaboration partners
This project was done by DesignLab's DreamTeam and staff in collaboration with University of Twente and Dutch Design Week.
Meaningful impact
This project was valuable, because of the meaning behind it. By connecting people and stakeholders, we can share 'nutrients' (in this case, a metaphor for knowledge) and grow together as a society. As a wise group of high schoolers once said, "We're all in this together".
Looking ahead: What you can do
Embrace the fact that we are all connected, and use it to your advantage. Some great value can come from this!
Contact
Would you like to know more, join, collaborate, receive more inspiration? Please contact Project Coordinator Alexandru Lucian Amariei.
