Mushroom Data Carpets

The mushroom data carpets are daily tactile visualisations generated from the electrical activity of fungal mycelium—initially Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi)—in relation to environmental data such as temperature, humidity, and CO₂. Each ring in the design corresponds to one data stream and is distorted based on its variation, frequency, and daily range.

The first carpets were made during the exhibition of our collaborative work ZOE, and were produced directly in the installation space. Each day, we produced one carpet based on the data of the day before. Since then, the data carpets have developed into a separate, ongoing project, with the aim of working with different fungal species over time. They are part of a growing series of works exploring how unknown biological signals can be translated into tactile form.

The project aims to understand fungal signal data by engaging with it through material processes rather than analytical interpretation. The act of tufting became a way to spend time with the signals, to observe their rhythms and shifts through material engagement. It offers a form of attention and reflection shaped by repetition, physical presence, and the slow process of translating data into form.