Phaidon's 'Fungi: The World of Mushrooms' Surveys Mycology in 200+ Works
Phaidon is set to release 'Fungi: The World of Mushrooms' on October 15, a comprehensive volume spanning over 200 pages and millennia of mycological imagery. The book compiles photographs, artworks, and historical objects, including Riitta Ikonen and Anni Koponen's uncanny costumes, Hilma af Klint's delicate illustrations, and Carsten Höller's disorienting suspended toadstool installation. It follows Phaidon's earlier surveys on butterflies, birds, oceans, and trees. The tome includes ancient artifacts like a mushroom stone from 400–250 BCE, contemporary works such as FoldHaus Collective's 'Shrumen Lumen' (2016) and Chris Ritson's 'Mushroom Picture' (2022), and spans from ancient history to the present day. Pre-orders are available through the Colossal Shop. The book celebrates the vast diversity and creative potential of mycology.
Key facts
- Phaidon will release 'Fungi: The World of Mushrooms' on October 15.
- The book contains more than 200 photographs, artworks, and historical objects.
- It spans over 200 pages and several millennia, from ancient history to the present.
- Featured artists include Riitta Ikonen, Anni Koponen, Hilma af Klint, Carsten Höller, FoldHaus Collective, and Chris Ritson.
- The book includes a mushroom stone from 400–250 BCE, courtesy of Museum Rietberg Zürich.
- Hilma af Klint's watercolor of Agaricus bisporus from 1893 is included.
- FoldHaus Collective's 'Shrumen Lumen' (2016) is an interactive outdoor sculpture.
- Chris Ritson's 'Mushroom Picture' (2022) uses live fungus and sawdust.
- Pre-orders are available through the Colossal Shop.
- This is Phaidon's fifth in a series of nature-focused surveys after butterflies, birds, oceans, and trees.
Entities
Artists
- Riitta Ikonen
- Anni Koponen
- Hilma af Klint
- Carsten Höller
- FoldHaus Collective
- Chris Ritson
- Rene Smith
- Rainer Wolfsberger
Institutions
- Phaidon
- Colossal Shop
- Museum Rietberg Zürich
- Naturhistoriska Riksmuseet
- Colossal
Locations
- Zürich
- Switzerland
- Stockholm
- Sweden