Mycorrhizal Encounters I: A conversation with Peter McCoy and Jonáš Gruska

Peter McCoy, a US based mycology educator, author and founder of Radical Mycology and Slovakian sound-artist and organizer of mykoLOM festival Jonáš Gruska will discuss the possibilities of accessible mushroom cultivation, mycoremediation and medicinal mushrooms.

The conversation is the first in the Mycorrhizal Encounters series of on-line conversations with artists, activists and researchers who work with the versatility of fungi and the resourcefulness of mycorrhizal communities. Throug different practices and theoretical approaches of the invited guests, the series connects the mycorrhizal fungal mycelium and underground root system to multiple other worlds of intricate entanglements and networks: the fluvial, vegetable and technological branching on the land; the neural pathways in the bodies of some organisms; the global capitalist market; the internet; kin networks and other kinds of affiliations and belongings.

The series is a follow up to the Descendants of Fungi and (Eco)Politics of Sharing Symposium, which took place in WOODS in Orlické Mountains (Czech Republic) in summer 2021. Throughout autumn, Mycorrhizal Encounters will invite Xalli Zúňiga, Mexican researcher, artist, curator and educator exploring mycorrhizal anti-colonial and feminist art education, Tai Shani, a UK based artist researching psychedelics, feminist histories and myth, Chido Govera, a farmer, campaigner, and educator based in Zimbabwe, whose mission is to promote mushroom cultivation as a sustainable source of food and income in impoverished regions of the world, and Anna Tsing, a US based anthropologist and author of The Mushroom at the End of the World: On the Possibility of Life in Capitalist Ruins.

Peter McCoy / Radical Mycology / is an interdisciplinary, systems-oriented mycology educator. He is considered one of the most prominent voices in the modern mycology movement and his work is widely regarded as pioneering in the topics of accessible mushroom cultivation and mycoremediation, while his in-depth mycological knowledge has also elevated his voice to one of the foremost in the less-explored fields of fungal evolution, fungal communication, and the history of fungi in human cultures. In 2006, Peter co-founded Radical Mycology, a grassroots mycological advocacy organization and social movement to share his life-long passion for helping others understand mycology. In 2016, Peter published the 650-page book Radical Mycology: A Treatise on Seeing & Working With Fungi. The book’s unprecedented depth, breadth, and perspective on the science, applications, and cultural importance of mycology have been praised as among the most significant contributions to these fields in the 21st century.

Jonáš Gruska / Jonasgru.sk / is a sound artist based in Slovakia. His main focus is on chaotic and polymetric rhythms, unconventional tunings, explorations of the psychoacoustic properties of sound, and field recording. He has created several site-specific sound installations based on the resonant properties of spaces and materials, and has held workshops on sonification, field recording, electromagnetic listening, and programming for artists. He is the creator of the Elektrosluch electromagnetic listening device. In 2019 he established the bioLOM/mykoLOM platform dealing with amateur mycology, lichenology and broader fungal perspectives. He established mykoLOM lab with professional equipment for mushroom cultivation and culture work. In 2019 he also started the mykoLOM festival, intersecting arts, mycology and foraging traditions.

The discussion takes place on Thursday, October 7, 7pm CET. 
Join the online discussion via Zoom: 
https://bit.ly/myccorhizalencounter 
Password: mushroom

The conversation will be held in English, with a recording published afterwards. 

For more information, please, contact les@are-events.org

Moderated by Tereza Porybná, cultural manager, curator and member of Woods.

The Mycorrhizal Encounters series is prepared by Lenka Vráblíková, Elspeth Mitchell and Tereza Porybná as part of the Descendants of Fungi and (Eco)Politics of Sharing festival.

The Descendants of Fungi Festival is organized by Woods – Community for cultivation, theory and art in cooperation with Are and the Institute of Anxiety.

The project is realized with the support of the City of Prague, Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic and the State Fund for Culture.