Ma-kas buried in UDIT

Project Title: ERRATUM. Micro-design for society

Code: INC-UDIT-2024-PRO16

Research Group: DESIRe (Regenerative Integral Design)

Authors: Elsa Gil Benito and Montserrat Pichel

The project"ERRATUM: Micomaterials for society" , which includes the thesis "Micomaterials, meaning and significance in the new material culture, for its projection in art and design", seeks to understand what are the new aesthetics and semiotics of micomaterials; and their social link, as a key tool to promote their incorporation.

Monitoring the Ma-ka project over time has allowed us to observe its life cycle, its breakages, its ageing, or its inert condition in the interior. This joint path made us wonder how it could continue its life cycle and how we could visualise it.

Following our research path, we present two mycelium sculptures (Ma-ka) buried in the UDIT facilities (gardens of the Alfonso XIII building B and the interior patio area of the Colombia building).

The remains of what was originally a luminaire begin a second phase of the life cycle, and thus their second period of mortality: material decomposition in interaction with life after their functional stage. Exposed outside, buried in its soil, what are the connotations for the rest of the non-human and human animals?

The aim of this installation is to evaluate the rate of decomposition of the material between the two pieces (one more protected than the other), to visualise if there is any animal activity and the social activity that is generated around them. Periodically, they are photographed to generate a final video in which aesthetic evolution will be represented and finally a final video will be made.

In the page ERRATUM: Micodesign for society you can read the statement of the proposal in depth, as well as visualise the periodic photos of the evolution of the installation.