100 Balken und 1 Pilz – the Ökorausch Festival of design & sustainability

100 Balken und 1 Pilz is an exhibition design for ökoRAUSCH Think Tank. Originally created for the ökoRAUSCH exhibition 2020 at the MAKK museum, its architecture, light concept and exhibit areas can also be used for future exhibitions.

The design is completely modular and easily repairable by hand. Wooden beams and square platforms grown out of mycelium can be arranged to build a variety of forms to meet the individual demands of the locality and the exhibited objects. The exhibition is showcasing current development in socio-economic transformation. Since the movement can only grow and successfully reshape society, if received positively, the exhibition design sought to create an atmosphere of community and curiosity. Ultimately getting people to engage and explore the transformation process themselves, to feel their own responsibility and power in the matter.

The exhibition explores the transformation towards a sustainable society on an equal footing. It seeks inclusive interaction and characterizes the transformation as a desirable and open minded, yet sometimes uncomfortable process, that thrives only if visitors get involved.

While sunlight is creating shadows, that extend the archaic network structure, the individually placeable lamps, also made out of wood and mycelium, allow for targeted spotlight. They consist out of only 8 parts, which are available at local hardware stores: the lampshade is to be grown out of mycelium. When put into a form filled with substrate, oyster fungus will grow in the shape of the container filled with the substrate.

Simple objects can easily be created, like the exhibition platforms or lampshades. By interrupting the fungus growth through a single heat-ing, a material is created, that is very lightweight, fire resistant, highly insulating and easily recyclable. The exhibition spaces lie either directly on the floor or on the stacked beams at around knee hight. Using clever placing, cable binders and bright orange color, the cables underline the playful character of the structures. They create a root-like network between the beams to visualizes the importance of networking in social and economic transformation.