The Fruiting Body is a long-term project Lin Gerritse started in 2012. It explores sculptural human figures where living mushrooms emerge from the body. The work is constantly shifting. As the mushrooms grow, the sculpture changes shape, structures, colour and smell. At the same time, moisture and condensation leave traces on the surface and become part of the work. For The Fruiting Body, Lin works across different mediums depending on the context of the exhibition. In some cases, he presents living sculptures where the mushrooms grow during the show. In others, he presents the process through large-scale photographs. These are photographic prints mounted on aluminium. The work looks at cycles of transformation and decay. If a human body is placed in a forest, it becomes part of a larger system where fungi, insects, plants and animals consume and transform it over time. In this sense, the work treats the human body not as something separate from nature, but as part of the same ongoing cycle of matter.
