Laid to Rest

Emma Wood (b. 1995)

Minneapolis Minnesota  / Småland, Sweden
 

“Laid to Rest”

Recycled mycelium and earth

(4) 6 ft L 1.5 W 

 

The collective grieving. 

Acknowledging the endless trauma over the last year(s) and generations.

Navigation and adapting to our uncertain world; personally, locally and globally.
 

This is the first sculpture in a mycelium series that activates the process of mycoremediation as a subject, a metaphor for existing within a cycle of grief and healing, of falling forever into disrepair, decay, and contribution, emerging as something new, but not altogether unfamiliar.

My sculptures ultimately reinforce the idea of a vulnerable and enriching relationship with ourselves and our environment, championing more considerate stewardship of the planet and its inhabitants. I am possessed by the significance that fungi bring to the world in so many ways, especially environmentally. 

 

I am collaborating with these organisms to encourage existing mycelial connections within the soil and with the viewers who happen upon it. These sculptures are ephemeral, and will biodegrade over time. In this way I explore mycoremediation as an artform and challenge the notion of singular possession of an artwork. This mycelial sculpture concept has been incubated since 2015 and now actualized here at FSP. After much anticipation around making this work, I am letting go and laying it to rest. I hope to create lasting impressions in the minds of viewers, even though the work itself will disappear. 

 

This sculpture is dedicated to my mom Åsa after passing away from cancer in 2019.
The future is fungi.