The smell is distinctive—not offensive, but definitely farm-like. “I think it smells like hay,” says architect David Benjamin looking up at the three conjoined brick towers rising above the courtyard at MoMA/P.S.1, the Museum of Modern Art-administered contemporary art space in Queens, New York.
Benjamin made his olfactory observation last week at an opening event for Hy-Fi, a temporary installation designed by his firm, The Living. The work’s fragrance comes from its experimental masonry, which is made from chopped up corn stalks and mycelium, a root organism in fungus that develops into mushrooms. Placed in a mold, the living mixture grows and solidifies into bricks over the course of five days. The process, developed with New York company Ecovative, gives the installation its name—Hy-Fi is a shortened version of the scientific name for the proto-mushroom organism.
You have 0 complimentary articles remaining.
Unlimited access + premium benefits for as low as $1.99/month.