Little Model of the Wood Wide Web, 2026

The so-called “Wood Wide Web” describes the vast underground network of fungi and plants through which forests exchange nutrients and information, often across great distances. In Little Model of the Wood Wide Web, this natural communication system is reinterpreted as a textile wall piece composed of painted and embroidered fabric.

The work’s textile structures evoke the fine connections of mycorrhizal networks, translating the largely invisible processes of the forest into a form that can be perceived both visually and tactilely. Large-scale painted root formations intersect with finer, stitched cords in a symmetrical arrangement. This reflects the idea that above- and below-ground plant structures mirror one another, existing in a dynamic equilibrium, with symmetry as a fundamental organising principle. Branches and root systems alike extend from larger forms into increasingly delicate offshoots, while the exact configuration of subterranean root systems remains largely speculative, primarily conveyed through simulations and diagrammatic representations.

The smallest root branches are rendered using machine embroidery in satin stitch. Individual motifs are combined into larger compositions, each limited by a maximum continuous stitching area of 18 × 12 cm. This constraint results in a gradual, accumulative process that echoes the slow rhythms of natural growth.

Rendered predominantly in neon yellow, the tips of the root structures introduce a further metaphorical dimension, evoking cosmic imagery such as nebulae and filaments. In doing so, the work draws a connection between microscopic and macroscopic systems, pointing to formal parallels between terrestrial and cosmic structures.

Exhibition view Sehnsucht Wald, 2026 | Deutsches Textilmuseum Krefeld, Germany |

Little Model of the Wood Wide Web, 2026 | acrylic, sewing and machine embroidery on synthetic fabric, black light; 260 x 600 cm

Detail Little Model of the Wood Wide Web, 2026 | acrylic, sewing and machine embroidery on synthetic fabric