A Glance through the Shades

In 2013, this artwork was admired by none other than Queen Máxima. The work formed part of the exhibition Ja Natuurlijk ('Yes Naturally') in The Hague’s Kunstmuseum. It was originally several metres tall and wide, but in the end just a small portion survived – the part that the LAM purchased.

Er, no. Unfortunately, that fell apart too. But Zeger made a new, extra-sturdy version for us.

This is not the only work by Zeger that features mushrooms. He previously covered a floor with soil and had white mushrooms growing in it. In this artwork, Zeger has cultivated them on slats. He preserved them just as they were on the point of decaying.

These are no ordinary mushrooms; they are hallucinogenic magic mushrooms. When ingested, the colours, smells and sounds around you can have an enormous impact. And you might suddenly find yourself feeling incredibly happy or sad.

Mushrooms are fungi. The scientific classification fungi is a kingdom all on its own. Fungi can have characteristics of both plants and animals. In everyday life, we come across many types of fungi that have different roles; for example, yeast which is used to make bread, beer and wine. Fungi is also used in antibiotics, such as penicillin. And what about blue cheese – are you a fan, or do you think it is revolting?

Nature is a recurring theme in Zeger's work. He aims to highlight nature's wonders as well as its confrontation with the man-made, the artificial. For instance, he grows all kinds of fungi on furniture and appliances. Zeger once sunk chairs into the Oosterschelde, so they could be overgrown by mussels. He allows nature to take its course.