Mycelium, a network of fungal threads, thrives beneath the soil and within decaying matter, hidden from plain sight. It acts as a decomposer and connector of life in our ecosystems. Mycelium invites us to explore the in-between, dissolving the illusion of individuality.

In this workshop, we will explore the relationship between mycelium and textiles at different scales. On one level, this interwoven network of filaments has the remarkable ability to filter sediments and metabolize certain pollutants from our soils and waterways. On another, it binds discarded matter, assembling it into new, sustainable materials. Like threads in a fabric, mycelium weaves itself into organic structures, creating a material that is both functional and versatile.

This workshop will build on some of Aléa’s latest research, exploring mycelium’s transformative potential. We will begin with an introduction to mycelium and myco-fabrication, providing participants with an understanding of the organism, its current and possible applications. Together, we will prepare and inoculate textile waste to create a collective piece. As the mycelium grows, participants will explore the surrounding environment, discovering local fungi, biodiversity, and resources. Participants will have the chance to explore 2D and 3D applications in textiles, growing patterns with mycelium, and brainstorm design opportunities for myco-remediation in the textile industry. By engaging with these ongoing investigations, the workshop invites participants to imagine new ways mycelium can redefine design processes and incorporate living materials into creative and production systems.

Throughout the week, guided activities and individual experiments will encourage participants to research, test, and lay the foundation for their personal projects. The workshop will culminate in a final exhibition, showcasing the collective pieces and individual explorations.

This immersive experience is part of the Aléa Garden Lab, an ongoing research initiative at Domaine de Boisbuchet, transforming the domain into an outdoor laboratory where designers, makers, and thinkers engage with living systems. Participants will gain hands-on skills in myco-fabrication while exploring how regenerative and collaborative approaches to design can foster new relationships that emphasize the interdependence and inseparability between humans and non-human life, the individual and the collective, and between creativity and the environments we inhabit.