RAMM announces artists for groundbreaking 2026 exhibition Living Labyrinths: Art & Fungi

Exeter’s Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery (RAMM) has selected two Devon-based artists for major new commissions as part of its upcoming contemporary art exhibition Living Labyrinths: Art & Fungi, opening in autumn 2026.

Sound artist Jason Singh and interdisciplinary artist Gemma Anderson-Tempini were chosen from over 100 applicants from across the South West. The final selection followed presentations by six shortlisted artists to an independent panel. This will be the first time either artist has exhibited at RAMM.

The exhibition, which will run from 3rd October 2026 to 21st February 2027, will delve into themes including symbiosis, biodiversity, environmental sustainability, and the hidden role fungi play in our ecosystems and daily lives. It will also showcase RAMM’s newly conserved natural science collection of fungi specimens.

Jason Singh, based in Newton Abbot, will create an immersive sound installation using bio-sonification to transform the electrical signals of fungi, mycelium, soil, and environmental elements from across Devon into sound. The work will also feature field recordings and interviews with mycologists, storytellers, and herbalists.

In response to the commission, Singh said:

“I am absolutely thrilled and overjoyed to be working with RAMM on the Living Labyrinths exhibition. I am super excited about bringing the sounds of fungi to new audiences and helping people to explore and learn about this fascinating world in new and imaginative ways.

“My plan is to create deeply immersive soundscapes using spatial sound technology to take people on a sonic journey to the world underneath our feet and on our doorstep. It will include music created in collaboration with fungi from around Devon as well as field recordings of natural habitats and interviews with specialists. It is all very exciting!”

Exeter-based artist and researcher Gemma Anderson-Tempini will present Body Mapping the Mycobiome, a drawing-based work that reimagines her body as a landscape of interconnected cellular and fungal communities. Her work will incorporate mycological inks and soil pigments from the Killerton Estate, chosen for its personal and ecological significance.

Anderson-Tempini said:

“I'm absolutely delighted to have this opportunity to work with RAMM and collaborate with scientists from the University of Exeter to explore the fascinating world of fungi and the mycobiome. This project feels like a natural evolution of my ongoing interdisciplinary work investigating biological processes and morphology, and it will be meaningful to developing the artwork in partnership with the museum and community where I live and work.”

Lara Goodband, RAMM’s Contemporary Art Curator & Programmer and curator of Living Labyrinths, expressed her excitement about the chosen artists:

“I am hugely excited to begin working with such creative artists. I know their imaginative responses to RAMM’s inspiring collections of fungi will wow visitors. I can’t wait to see what they both make!”

Councillor Bob Foale, Exeter City Council lead for Arts, Culture and Tourism, added:

“This shows what incredible talent there is in Exeter and Devon and I am proud that the City Council’s flagship institution, the award-winning museum RAMM, can support and enable creativity to flourish here. I am looking forward to this groundbreaking exhibition. Thank you to our partner funders Arts Council England for supporting the contemporary art programme at RAMM.”