by Kalyn Oyer for the Post and Courier
The latest art installation at Redux Contemporary Art Center is meant to illustrate the connections of a community. And what better metaphor than the underappreciated fungus?
From fantastical fairy circles to intertwined mushroom roots that grow underground and cling to other organisms, the “Fungus Among Us” exhibition reveals the many aspects of the spored sprout that appears on plates and in folklore.
The 10-day mushroom-themed show, mounted in coordination with the local nonprofit Enough Pie and led by Japanese-Korean artist Naoko Wowsugi, illustrates the healing powers of ’shrooms and their many hidden qualities. A special collaboration with James Simons Elementary School, which resulted in one part of the installation, demonstrates some of those qualities, particularly the communal network that a fungus represents.