PAIGNTON ZOO TO HOST GROUNDBREAKING MYCELIAL ART INSTALLATION
Exclusive international collaboration brings the mysterious underground world of mycelium to light in unique cross-cultural project.
Visitors to Paignton Zoo this summer will experience the hidden world beneath their feet through an innovative art installation exploring the secret life of fungi, as part of a prestigious international collaboration between artists in the UK and Thailand.
The NooN Collective will transform an area of the zoo to reveal the invisible fungal networks that sustain woodland ecosystems – the mycelium networks sometimes called “nature’s internet” that connect trees and plants in vast underground communication systems.
Dr Andy Bowkett, Conservation Partnerships Manager for Paignton Zoo, commented:
“This project brings together scientific understanding and artistic interpretation in a way that makes ecological connections tangible for visitors. It opens up a whole new way of understanding the living world around us.”
The installation is part of the broader ‘About Fungi and Being in the Dark’ project, a year-long artistic exchange that will culminate with site-specific works in summer and autumn 2025. The exhibition promises to bring hidden ecological systems into public awareness through interactive elements that make the invisible visible.
The collaboration emerged from an unusual geological connection between UNESCO Global Geopark sites in the English Riviera and Satun, Thailand, with the zoo’s karst cave systems providing the perfect backdrop for this cross-cultural exploration of hidden natural systems.
Natalie Palin, Co-Director for Filament Works CIC, who are producing the international collaboration, added:
“This rich collaboration really is mycelial in nature. Artists, communities and environmental researchers are making connections, exploring the unknown and creating new work as they go.”
Those curious about the installation can experience a preview during the May half-term holiday. Artists from NooN Collective will conduct a free workshop as part of the UNESCO Geoparks Festival on Thursday 29 May, 10am-12pm at the start of the Nature Trail. The hands-on session, included with standard zoo admission, will introduce visitors to the concepts behind the installation through sculpture, texture, sound and other artistic mediums. For more information, please visit: Super Sensing Workshop • Paignton Zoo
About the project
This collaboration connects two UNESCO Global Geopark sites through their shared karst cave systems. The English Riviera site features caves on the zoo’s Nature Trail and Torquay’s prehistoric Kents Cavern, while the Satun site includes Phu Pha Phet, Le Stegadon and Urai Thong caves. These geological features create a fitting parallel to the subterranean networks that inspired the project.
The ‘TAAHM’ project represents a significant achievement for the region, having been selected as part of the British Council’s highly competitive International Collaboration Grant programme which supports UK and overseas organisations to collaborate on international arts projects. The collaboration is being produced by Filament Works CIC with Chiangmai Art Conversation.
The initiative builds on the acclaimed work of the UK-based NooN Art Collective, whose production “Murmur” has captured public imagination through its multi-sensory exploration of fungal communication. The performance piece has consistently sold out, revealing a surprising public appetite for artistic interpretations of complex natural science.
Collaborators
NooN Collective: NooN is a cross-disciplinary collective exploring the subconscious and deep ecological communication of the natural world. The collective brings together diverse artistic disciplines across movement, wearable sculpture, music, film and generative art.
Website: noon-collective.org
Filament: Filament is a creative producing house that brings together diverse practitioners to nurture vibrant, distinctive places and address complex questions of identity and social need. Based in Torbay, Filament generates opportunities for artists, place-shapers and community activists to turn ideas into reality.
Website: filament.org.uk
The British Council: The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities, building connections between people in the UK and other countries through arts, culture, education and English language. Founded in 1934, it’s a UK charity governed by Royal Charter.
Website: www.britishcouncil.org
English Riviera UNESCO Global Geopark: The English Riviera UNESCO Global Geopark encompasses Torquay, Paignton and Brixham. Recognized in 2007, it features 4.6 billion years of geological history, 20 beaches across 20 miles of coastline, and key attractions including Paignton Zoo and Kents Cavern.
Website: englishrivierageopark.org.uk
Kents Cavern: Kents Cavern is one of the most important Stone Age sites in Europe with a history stretching back 400 million years. Notable both for its archaeological and geological features (as a karst feature in the Devonian limestone). The cave system is open to the public and has been a geological Site of Special Scientific Interest since 1952 and a Scheduled Ancient Monument since 1957.
Website: kents-cavern.co.uk