Gaia Art Foundation has partnered with Somerset House for an engaging public programme to accompany the exhibition "Mushrooms: The Art, Design and Future of Fungi" celebrating the remarkable mushroom, and all the progressive, poetic and psychedelic wonder it evokes.
 
Bringing together the work of over 40 leading artists, designers and musicians, Mushrooms looks at fungi’s colourful cultural legacy, as well as the promise it offers to reimagine our relationship with the planet.
 
The public programme from leading artists and experts span design, sustainability and health. Highlights include:
 
•       An evening talk exploring the mind-altering properties of mushrooms with Robin Carhart-Harris, Head of The Centre for Psychedelic Research at Imperial College London joined by Darren Springer, Edible Utopia Mycologist, researcher and educator 
•       An evening talk on the organic phenomena of mycelium both in the natural world and in design. Author and fungal biologist Merlin Sheldrake with Ehab Sayed founder of Biohm, an organisation that use biological systems to drive innovation in domestic design and Nancy Diniz, an architect, co-founder of bioMATTERS LCC and Course Leader of the MA in Biodesign at Central Saint Martins UAL
•       Mushrooms Gallery Late featuring mushroom workshops, short films, and a special performance inspired by the stinkhorn mushroom from artist Siôn Parkinson with Sam Annand, featuring a spectacular ‘mushroom dress’ created by designer Matty Bovan
•       Screening of critically acclaimed documentary Magic Medicine exploring how magic mushrooms may provide a solution in treating depression

See somersethouse.org.uk for tickets and further details
 
The exhibition from writer and curator Francesca Gavin include works by seminal American artist Cy Twombly’s collage portfolio paralleling natural world and human history, watercolours from renowned author Beatrix Potter, composer John Cage’s limited edition Mushroom Book of recipes, observations and illustrations, and inspiring works from emerging contemporary artists.
 
Mushrooms: The Art, Design and Future of Fungi
30 January – 26 April 2020