RODRIGO ARTEAGA
Rodrigo Arteaga joined the Centre for Print Research (CFPR), University of the West of England (UWE), for an artist residency in 2022 with the aim of expanding his understanding of mycelial networks and exploring non-human drawings made by fungi. Fungal activity is vital to ecosystems, yet it’s often invisible as it happens below our feet, through soil or any substrate, such as a tree. Rodrigo’s intention was to create devices to observe fungal activity, a live system that was constantly changing. He aimed to explore how print could become a way of documenting that indeterminate process.
‘My friend Giuliana Furci, who is a great inspiration, she always says “we have to let things rot”. We must really elevate the process of decomposition and recomposition. I think it’s important to shift the perception of decomposing matter as something to be afraid of, into making it almost sacred. So, I thought about making devices to observe and engage with this process. It’s a challenging task because of the very nature of the process, but the attempt is important.’