Exploring Alternative Materials

Coinciding with our current exhibition It Requires Getting Lost exhibiting artist Jocelyn McGregor will be sharing the results so far of her research project looking at alternative and more sustainable materials for making artwork. In particular, looking at using materials made with mycelium - the root-like structures of fungi.

There will be an opportunity to handle some samples provided by Osmose Studio who are the UK’s leading mycelium material supplier. We will also be joined by Lasse Melgaard (Technical Director at Osmose Studio) who will tell us about the work they do as a bio-design studio specialising in mycelium-based materials for interior and architectural applications, creating sustainable alternatives to conventional construction and design materials. Their work also has the added benefit of increasing the contact people have with natural materials in the environments they occupy.

To expand the discussion further we will also be joined by Poppy Clover who will bring her perspective to the conversation as the Collection Registrar for the Roberts Institute of Art one of the partners on the current exhibition. Matthew Pendergast, Castlefield Gallery’s Head of Programmes will chair the discussion which will explore the challenges and benefits that might be associated with making, storing, moving, exhibiting and living with art works and environments made with alternative materials. The event will conclude with an audience Q&A.

More about the speakers

Lasse Melgaard is a trained mycologist with a BSc in Microbiology. Having worked with mushrooms for 10 years across the UK, Europe, US and West Africa, he has gained knowledge of both low-tech and large-scale mushroom production, and worked with experts in the mycology field, including Tradd Cotter’s mushroom research centre in South Carolina.

Poppy Clover is the Collection Registrar for the Roberts Institute of Art and The David and Indrė Roberts Collection. In her role, she oversees the care, movement, and display of artworks, working closely with artists, lenders, and institutions to support exhibitions, loans, and long-term collection stewardship.

Alongside her collections work, she has extensive experience in arts education and in supporting emerging artists. Her past roles include running an artist residency programme and producing an arts festival, where she worked closely with artists, educators, and local communities to develop ambitious, collaborative projects. These experiences continue to inform her interest in the practical and relational dimensions of working in the arts, and in how care, collaboration, and access shape the way in which artworks are encountered by audiences.