TechBrunch: Mushroom networks with Susanne Hartmann

Fungi are among the Earth’s oldest life forms, and their way of growing challenges how we typically understand living systems. Their mycelia spread underground, share resources, grow in symbiosis with their surroundings, and form dynamic networks in constant flux.

Rather than following fixed structures, they evolve through relationships and exchange. Their behavior invites us to rethink concepts like intelligence, communication, and growth—without language, eyes, or centralised nervous systems.

In her work Experiments II, part of the exhibition Other Intelligences, artist Susanne Hartmann explores these living networks. The project brings together mycelia growing in organically shaped glass vessels, an assemblage of oyster mushrooms, and fiber-optic cables. Bioelectrical impulses generated by the fungi are translated into light signals, creating an interplay between organic growth and technological transformation.

The TechBrunch begins with an introduction by the artist, who shares insights into her practice and the background of her work. Participants are then invited to get hands-on in the pop-up mushroom lab by preparing nutrient substrates where different mushroom species can grow. Each person takes home a small ecosystem to observe, care for, and perhaps even harvest from.

Susanne Hartmann is an artist and designer based in Basel whose interdisciplinary practice connects art, science, and design. She investigates how natural processes, technology, and cultural structures are interwoven. In her Experiments series, she examines the growth and behavior of mycelia, often referred to as the «invisible architects of life.» Experiments III, currently on view in the exhibition Other Intelligences at HEK, features mycelia growing in petri dishes that gradually develop unique forms and structures throughout the exhibition period. Alongside her artistic work, she also works in visual communication and is co-founder of a branding and design agency in Basel.