Degree Show 2023
Sian Pitts
BA Art and Design
‘Amidst the Mycelium’
Responding to the mystery of cryptozoology, fairy tales and folklore, this project alludes to a world beyond our own – A macrocosm that’s seeping through the fissures in the undergrowth, perfectly protected by the blight and excrescency that we evade and hidden away in the spaces that we overlook. It explores the secret lives of the saprophytes and mycelium, as well as other curious creatures that reside amongst the moss and mildew of the forest. This creation also takes inspiration from the Slavic tale of Baba Yaga; a cunning witch who lives in a hut that saunters on chicken legs, and who collects the bones of mushroom foragers that have become lost in the woods..
To bring this tale to life and create an immersive experience for the audience, the project explores a combination of storytelling, sculptural techniques, and installation.
Hidden around the gallery space, there are three collectable oddities for guests to find on their journey to the opening of the mushroom cave – these will come in handy later! The piece is accompanied by a ‘choose-your-own-adventure’ illustrated storybook with a slew of endings, allowing for a unique experience for all who visit the space.
Visitors are invited to enter the cave to meet the creatures who reside inside, take a seat beside the mushroom men, and follow the tale in the book to discover their fate!