Fanzines are defined as “non-official publications produced by enthusiasts of a particular cultural phenomenon”. Now “fanzines” also include niche art publications made within a small economy, close to what artist’s books are, but I wanted to go back to the original role of the fanzine: Fungal is a homage to Wikipedia, one of the greatest website of the World Wide Web. This collaborative encyclopedia is now 21 years old, and I am still fascinated how it changed our relationship to knowledge. It also represents a comforting example of what humanity can do: collaborating voluntarily on the largest knowledge project in our history. I consider Wikipedia being the descendant of Enlightenment’s encyclopédistes and free software movement, and I think such project made by the people, for the people are beautiful remains of the early Web’s utopia.
Wikipedia is not perfect (lack of diversity, moderation…) and it remains a fragile system. Still, I wanted to picture it as a post-human vestige, an artifact invaded by biomorphic figures and spreading typography. My work quickly focused on how to create organic ornaments, affecting the encyclopedia’s interface, its typography, the figures and the Wikipedia logo itself.