Symbiogenesis

John Wild
Shira Wachsmann

Symbiogenesis:
is an installation originally developed for a cave in Mittweida, Germany, as part of Chemnitz 2025: European Capital of Culture (and was later exhibited in Iklectik, London, 2025). 


This site-specific installation connects five networks of grey oyster mycelium (Pleurotus sajor-caju) to light-emitting fibre-optic cables extending to the cave roof.



The mycelium operates as a living, real-time environmental sensor, translating electrical voltage spikes within its network into pulses of light transmitted through fibre-optic cables. 

The installation incorporates sound recordings of the Earth’s deep bass vibrations, captured from the perspective of the mycelium.