Years of experience in working with museums, exhibits, and art projects.
At the Fungi Foundation, our mission is clear: to raise awareness about the often-overlooked kingdom of fungi and inspire a new mycological paradigm. One of the key ways we achieve this is by working closely with art exhibits and natural history museums, and other science institutions. These collaborations enable us to share our knowledge and passion for fungi with a wider audience, fostering a deeper understanding of their vital role in our world.
We have worked extensively with Natural History Museums (NHM) around Chile. In 2015, With the NHM in Santiago, we embarked on Chile’s first ever mushroom exhibition called Fungi: a Kingdom to be Discovered. This educational initiative brought the wonders of fungi to multiple cities in Chile, sparking curiosity and scientific inquiry. With the NHM of Valparaíso, we worked to make Mushrooms: Habitants from Another Kingdom. This exhibition featured informative panels about the forms, structures, and life characteristics of the funga of the Mediterranean forest in central Chile. This exhibition was in the Valparaíso metro system for the general public.
In 2019, the Mushroom Museum was born under the watch of the Fungi Foundation to bring its inaugural works to life. Presently, the Foundation continues to provide mycological guidance to the museum's team. Among the noteworthy exhibitions are the "Penicillium Collective," featuring artworks by artists such as Sergio Mora Díaz, Oktopus.tv, Daniel Reyes, Claudia Müller, and Paula Garrido. Additionally, the "INFINITA" exhibition, part of the XIV Biennial of Video and Media Arts in Santiago, featured a curated display showcasing a collection of eight native fungal species collected by the Foundation from some of Chile's most extreme environments. This exhibition, titled "Extreme Unique Collection," was hosted at the Benjamin Vicuña Mackenna National Museum in Santiago, Chile. Lastly, the Foundation sponsored and served as scientific curators for the "Vigilantes" exhibition by artist Ivan Navarro, hosted at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Valdivia.
The Fungi Foundation has participated in several exhibits with many different artists. One exhibition titled Fungus: From Territory to Manufacturing aimed to display the Fungi Kingdom by addressing and illustrating the cycle of harvesting and cultivating mushrooms for the production of mycomaterials and construction components as an alternative to synthetic compounds with a high ecological footprint. This was hosted in the Centro Cultural La Moneda in 2022.
Alongside the Mar Adentro Foundation, an NGO dedicated to science and art, specimens from the FFCL Fungarium of the Fungi Foundation were displayed, showcasing representatives of the fungi from the temperate forests of southern Chile. The exhibition, titled "Expanded Nature: Making the Invisible Visible," was presented at the La Moneda Cultural Center between 2020 and 2021.
The Interactive Mirador Museum (MIM) is one of the largest museums in South America, boasting hundreds of exhibits. Our partnership with MIM is a prime example of our commitment to scientific collaboration. We worked together to provide mycological expertise and exhibit design help, in order to educate visitors about the fascinating world of fungi. This collaboration is ongoing, and will be the first permanent exhibition about fungi in Chile.
If you are part of a natural history museum, science institution, or cultural center dedicated to the exploration and dissemination of scientific knowledge, we invite you to collaborate with the Fungi Foundation. Together, we can unlock the secrets of fungi and their crucial role in our ecosystem.
Contact us today to explore potential collaborations that will help us spread the message of mycology far and wide.
For more information about the Fauna Flora Funga Initiative click here
