Why did the mushroom always get invited to the party? Because he was “fungi”! Jokes aside, there’s more to fungi than meets the eye and you can learn all about them at the Funtastical World of Fungi exhibition at the CDL Green Gallery, Singapore Botanic Gardens.
Funtastical World of Fungi Exhibition
The Funtastical World of Fungi was launched in conjunction with the Singapore Botanic Gardens and Fort Canning Park Heritage Festival. The exhibition provides an informative look at the world of fungi.
Upon entering into the gallery, look up to the ceiling for a first-look at fungi, from the bottom up.
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This is part of an introductory area where you first get to meet fungi, including live bioluminescent mycelium.
Did you know that fungi are neither flora nor fauna? Instead, they belong in their own category known as funga.
Unlike plants that take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen, fungi take in oxygen and release carbon dioxide. An art installation with fungi in glass cases even translates their carbon dioxide into the sound of thunder – allowing you to hear the fungi “breathe”.
Learning All About Fungi
The next section of the Funtastical World of Fungi exhibition features informative panels that explain the differences between flora, fauna and funga.
You can also learn about the diversity of fungi found in Singapore, some of which are so common that you have probably been eating it all along in desserts such as cheng tng.
Fungi also play an important role in the web of life, serving as major decomposers in natural ecosystems.
Research into Fungi
Another section showcases modern research into innovative applications for fungi. One of the high-touch exhibits is a tile made out of bamboo and fungi.
However, research into fungi is not new. It has been part of the Singapore Botanic Garden’s work for a long time. On display are facsimiles of botanical art that documented various fungi species that was observed in Singapore.
Funtastical Fungi
Before leaving the exhibition, there are panels showcasing two interesting fungi.
The Amanita sculpta was first recorded in Singapore in 1940 and then it was never sighted again for 80 years. In 2020, it was rediscovered in Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, close to where it was first recorded.
You can view the specimen of the Amanita sculpta, which has cap of 26 cm wide, in a display case nearby.
Another panel shares information about the Spongispora temasekensis, a species that was first discovered in 2018 at the Singapore Botanic Gardens!
You also help keep an eye out for fungi and mushrooms in Singapore by joining the Mushroom Spotters Singapore Facebook Group and helping to photograph and observe fungi in the wild with other mycophiles.
Fungi After Dark Light Projection
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When night falls, a three-minute-long light and projection show, Fungi After Dark, will reveal a glowing network beneath the paths at the CDL Green Gallery Lawn.
The display is a story about trade, rain, decay and renewal, featuring a web of fibre optic lights that glow and shifts in the darkness, synchronised to narration and original score that you can listen to on your own headphones through your mobile phone.
Fungi After Dark takes place from 5 to 13 September, 7.30 pm to 10 pm at the CDL Green Gallery Lawn.
Funtastical World of Fungi Exhibition
The Funtastical World of Fungi is open from 5 September 2026 to 28 February 2027. It will remain open till 10 pm from 5 to 13 September during the Singapore Botanic Gardens and Fort Canning Park Heritage Festival.
