A few days after the opening of the exhibition, I visited the Citronne Gallery in Kolonaki to get a closer look at the works and meet the talented creator behind them, Christina Mitrentse.
And while you are in the centre of Athens, the WOOD WIDE WEB exhibition transports you into a forest, composed of paintings and sculptures made from old books, collages with “controversial” books and poisonous mushrooms, and tree-trunk seats from which “sprout” mushrooms made of book pages. As part of her artistic research and practice, the artist shows us old family archives with forest studies by her grandfather, in which mushroom spores have been cultivated, creating an intergenerational work in progress.
At the centre of the exhibition, three tree-trunk seats, the “Wood logs,” stand out, where old books have been incorporated in such a way that they resemble mushrooms growing on the trunks. These works of art take 3 to 4 months to reach their final form, after being carved, polished, and adorned with gold leaf and books. Christina uses the technique of “book-sculpture,” as she describes it. It is worth noting the symbolism of the NugriBauti carving on one of the seats, which in Lithuanian means the person who goes into the forest with their basket to pick mushrooms and gets lost during the journey. The same phrase is also used to describe a storyteller who digresses from the narrative. Thus, we see a brilliant connection between the book, the concept of storytelling, and the mushroom. From the pulp: “Here, the book meets the raw trunk and fungal spores, suggesting that the knowledge inscribed on the pages may once again sprout in the forest.” The works refer to what P. Giannicopoulos mentions in his text, “This is a subversive turn of the usual production of paper: instead of the tree turning into a book, the book returns to the tree, setting into motion a game of reciprocity that dissolves the rigid boundaries of matter.”
Fungi logs, 2025, Christina Mitrentse
Around the Wood logs, we see paintings where the artist has chosen 6 different tree species known for their symbiosis with fungi. These works are made on the endpapers, which are used to line the inside of hardcovers, creating another link between the forest and the book. The endpapers of books that come from trees here return to them to frame them.
As the artist herself notes: “Mushrooms, like books, are repositories of knowledge and catalysts for transformation. Both serve as intermediate spaces between death and life. In this light, both become conduits of continuity, embodying the dynamic interaction between death, destruction, and regeneration, knowledge, and understanding.”
Monkey Puzzle tree Araucaria araucana, 2024, Christina Mitrentse
The “bookscapes” are other impressive paintings that can be found in the exhibition, where hardcovers of books are used to create images resembling banners with an Oriental aesthetic, conceptually linked to the fact that paper was first invented in China.
The forbidden mushrooms are used in compositions employing silkscreen printing, pencil, and collage techniques, connected to the ISBNs of real books that have historically been censored and banned in previous times. The artist’s work uniquely and ingeniously highlights the continuous movement of both matter and knowledge. Just as fungus emerges from decomposition as food, the knowledge in books does not remain static. But let’s get to know the creator behind all this.
The true future is fun fungal bookscape, Christina Mitrentse
Christina Mitrentse is an artist who incorporates elements from her research in forestry and mycology into her work. In addition to being an artist, she is an educator and independent curator. She lived and worked in London for two decades. In recent years, she has made Athens her base. Her work combines various media and techniques, such as drawing, silkscreen printing, book-sculpture, collage, installations, and ongoing participatory projects. Her work has been presented in solo and group exhibitions at galleries, museums, and public spaces, such as the Tate Modern, The Royal Academy, ICA London, and has been included in publications. Her works are found in both private and public collections of institutions.
Forbidden fungi with forbidden ISBN III, 2025, Christina Mitrentse
Design Geek: Christina, what sparked your interest in fungi and forests to begin your research in 2005 and then incorporate it into your artistic work?
Christina Mitrentse: The title “The Wood Wide Web” refers to a scientific theory by Professor Suzanne Simard from the University of British Columbia, which has captured the public imagination. The mycelium, the underground network of thread-like filaments, creates complex networks often called the “wood-wide-web” — a silent infrastructure that supports and nourishes entire ecosystems. The surge of interest comes not from an unaccountable passion for fungal networks but from what the theory implies: that the natural world is not static and rigid but rather a living community governed by the same ethical principles as ours.
The “Forest-Trees-Trunks-Paper-Books-Mushrooms-Mycorrhiza-Decomposition-Regeneration” network is a conceptual and organic chain in my artistic practice. This research started in London during the creation of “The Secret School” (2005), a site-specific installation/exhibition in a World War II bomb shelter at the back of my house in Islington. It was a blend of different types of art, which opened to the artistic community three days after the London bombings. My garden was above the shelter, which I converted into a studio for a year. I brought the tree trunks, my first “wood logs,” functional seat-sculptures, where I carved words and phrases about the relationship between nature, art, and science, while listening to John Cage to create my own sound piece. There, I developed the first mushroom spores, as well as the “growing crystals,” which became part of my sculptures. I read books about forests, deforestation, and mushrooms. I often went on day trips to research and find mushrooms in places like Epping Forest, where I taught, Highgate Wood, Hampstead Heath, and the beautiful forests of South London, including Dulwich Park, Richmond Park, and South Norwood Country Park.
D.G.: Do you feel that this topic feels complete for you with this recent exhibition, or is there more to come?
C.M.: Mushrooms are subjects of scientific research, poetic inspiration, and transformation. Through mushrooms, I explore themes such as metamorphosis, decomposition, regeneration, sustainability, and the cycle of matter. The research continues with great love and attention. This remarkable organism supports all life on Earth. All living beings coexist with fungi, and this multispecies involvement is the foundation of all ecosystems. This raises significant questions about where species begin and end and offers incredible new possibilities for how we can think about the future of our world.
Forestry studies destructed by pleurotus mycelium, Christina Mitrentse
D.G.: We’ve analyzed the meaning behind your art works above, but is there a specific message you’d like to convey to the visitors who will visit this exhibition?
C.M.: I invite the visitors to engage in discussions about the importance of mycology and forests for society. The incredible properties of fungi, their history, and their countless uses in materials, medicine, and ecology have a positive impact on the planet.
As people have become increasingly disconnected from the natural world, mushrooms are sprouting through the cracks of industrialization and capitalism, providing new ways of thinking about everything from food to furniture, clothes to buildings, and the economy in society. While the contribution of fungi to medicine and biotechnology is steadily increasing, they also provide new ways to combat pollution and waste. From the “Wood Wide Web” to oil spill clean-ups and the restoration of radioactive areas, the mushroom is both an inspiration and a practical source of change. Fungi may not only change the shape of our future world, but they may also change the way we think about it.
D.G.: Christina, thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and art work with us.
As we understand, this topic is very interesting and a multifaceted subject that will continue to be a source of inspiration for a great artist, who with her creations takes us a step further, connecting us with nature and its transformations, and with our own regeneration through it.
Wood Wide Web
April 2nd – May 31st
CITRONNE Gallery – Athens
Patriarchou Ioakeim 19, 10675, Athens | 4th floor
Phone: (+30) 210 7235 226
Email: info@citronne.com
Hours of Operation
Tue, Thu, Fri: 11:00 – 20:00
Wed, Sat: 11:00 – 16:00
Until next time!!!
Design geek in Athens