the quarry, the farmer & the beasts

Champignons de Paris’ cultivation originates in Parisian quarries repurposed in the early 19th century where Agaricus bisporus is domesticated to become the button and chestnut mushrooms we now find in supermarkets. Quarries are the ideal environment to grow mushrooms for they are relatively stable in temperature and humidity. More importantly, the darkness allows the farmer (like an illusionist) to control lights and dupe the mushrooms’ growth despite seasonality (eight hours of light a day). Each quarry has its particular mineral composition that impregnates the mushrooms and tints their taste. Multiple pieces propose different entries in this ecosystem: a photographic study of lights in the quarry I visited; a playful diorama where lights and shadows make mushrooms grow (featuring most species now cultivated in Europe); and a collage reimagining fungi as beasts cowered in the dark corners of the quarry.
This work was exhibited at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (August 2022) and in the quarry itself (September 2022).