Tinder Fungus
The tinder fungus - 'Fomes Fomentarius' is a parasite and a decomposer. As a tree fungus it grows on weakened deciduous trees and decomposes their wood components. Under its hard shell, a centuries-old material history is hidden. The fibers of the mushroom were originally used as "tinder" to make fire. Ötzi, the "Iceman", also carried a piece of the tree fungus with him. Later, the usefulness of the velvety soft material was discovered for textiles and wound dressings. In the 18th century, a whole industry of tinder production developed in Germany and Eastern Europe, but it quickly disappeared again with industrialization. ZVNDER produces unique vegan products and textiles from this almost forgotten raw material, using modern technologies and incorporating traditional processing methods.
About
ZVNDER was founded in 2017 and is based on the further developed master thesis of the designerNina Fabert. After a thorough research on traditional processing and extensive material studies on tinder fungus, material concepts and artistic objects were created. The project was awarded the Elsa Neuman Foundation's scholarship for young talents in 2015. Furthermore, the project was nominated for the GERMAN DESIGN AWARD 2018>. The work could last be viewed in 2019/20 in the exhibition MIND THE FUNGI at the Futurium in Berlin. As part of the Science Year 2020 | 21 , ZVNDER is represented at several locations.
