Theme: Rhizome
/ˈrʌɪzəʊm/
noun: rhizome; plural noun: rhizomes
a continuously growing horizontal underground stem which puts out lateral shoots and adventitious roots at intervals.
The theme of EASA 2025 is Rhizome.
In nature, rhizomes are the root systems of all fungi and plants. Rhizomes have no central system and they are the underground mass of interconnected multispecies roots that grow, organize and share resources horizontally. A rhizome is a nonlinear network that connects any point to any other point within the network. It is also a philosophical concept that can be used to analyze different ways of organizing in our society and everyday life.
With the theme rhizome we want to explore the relationship of architecture and built environment to ecology and power structures. We see rhizome as a metaphor for ecological systems but also as a tool for creating potential new world views and shifting ways of thinking. As architecture students we want to ask what it means to design in the era of the climate crisis. EASA 2025 examines rhizome as a conceptual tool to rethink spatial practices and narratives underlying the design process.
Characteristics of a rhizomatic structure
When we originally decided to bid for EASA 2025 we had studied the post-structuralist work of Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari. Their introduction to rhizome in A Thousand Plateaus was our starting point and the framework for EASA Rhizome was rooted in their concept of rhizomatic thinking. They outline characteristics that connect rhizomatic structures:
- The principle of connectivity means that any point of a rhizome can connect to any other point of the rhizome. These connections are based on resource exchange, mutual dependency and collaboration. The connections are fluid and non-linear.
- The principles of heterogeneity and multiplicity mean that a rhizome consists of different parts: a rhizome embraces diversity instead of homogenization. Rhizome is composed of multiple diverse elements that are connected in complex, non-hierarchical ways, where diverse elements coexist and interact in ways that resist simplification or fixed meanings.
- The principle of asignifying rupture means that a rhizome is a structure that embraces change. Since a rhizomatic structure is a decentralized system rupture does not threaten its existence or continuity: a rhizome can build new connections and grow in new directions if parts of it are lost or destroyed.
- The principles of cartography and decalcomania mean that a rhizome is a map and not a tracing. You can’t copy a rhizome 1:1, but you can try to make maps that keep changing and are always subject to revisions and can focus on different aspects of the rhizome. The maps can try to paint a picture of what the rhizome looks like at the moment, but an identical tracing is not possible.
Looking to learn more about rhizomes? Here’s a reading list.
Introductory texts
Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari – A Thousand Plateaus
Recommended chapter: Introduction: Rhizome
The post-structural philosophy behind the concept of ‘rhizomatic thinking’, the text is a little difficult, and not mandatory for understanding rhizome as a theme, easier and more accessible readings are listed below. Read if you are into philosophy.
Anna Tsing – Mushroom at the end of the world
Lots of great chapters to read! The way Tsing uses the matsutake mushroom to link together landscape, capitalism and commodity chains is very interesting. Also concepts of diversity, contamination, scale and assembly are well explored here.
Yasmine Ostendorf – Let’s become fungal
Chapters: Teaching one – How to become fungal (pages 14-39) AND Teaching seven: How to escape categorization (Pages: 168-182)
Easy read with concrete examples on how we can learn from fungi. Includes ideas from indigenous artist, curators, feminist and mycologist.
Texts about human/nature dichotomy
Beatriz Colomina and Mark Wigley – Are we human?
Chapters: 1, 4 and 14
Thought-provoking take on what it is to be a human. Has design taken us and our bodies beyond humanism, or is it the very thing that separates us from everything else?
Lucia Pietroiusti (ed.) – Microhabitable:
Chapter: Un-commoning nature: Stories from the Anthropo-Not-Seen, Marisol De La Cadena
A story about indigenous woman refusing to sell their land. Interesting analysis on human/nature relationship and our right to nature. Key words: Resistance, landownership, belonging.
Emanuele Coccia – The Life of Plants: A Metaphysics of Mixture
A beautiful book about how plants shape our world, their necessity for human and other life on earth and it’s philosophical implications. Quite a short read, start from the beginning and see how long you wanna go.
Clara Oloriz Sanjuan – Landscape as a territory
Chapter 7 Making maps: Cartography, Territory, Modernity (p. 92-102)
Chapter 11 Going to Ground: Agency, Design and the Problem with Bruno Latour (p. 150-158)
Rather academic text but very insightful. The text explains clearly the problematics of cartography and presents alternative mapping for reclaiming representation. Chapter 11 discusses networks and embedded power relations between different agencies.
Donna Haraway – Staying with the trouble
Chapter: Tentacular Thinking: Anthropocene, Capitalocene, Chthulucene
key concepts: Anthropocene, sympoiesis, making-with
Robin Wall Kimmerer – Braiding Sweetgrass
Cozy read with beautiful language. Indigenous knowledge merging with scientific frames.
Brenner, Neil. (2016). The Hinterland Urbanised?
Architectural Design. 86. 118-127. 10.1002/ad.2077.
key concepts: Anthropocene, sympoiesis, making-with
Graeber, D. & Wengrow, D. (2021) The dawn of everything : a new history of humanity. (p.255-256)
The absence of recognizing connectivity – our dependence on the non-human world – and the belief of human superiority over the living world is obvious in this conception of ownership. Yet, the conception we have adopted, is not the only one. There is much to be learned and relearned, if we understand this conception of a capitalistic system based on competition, exploitation and extractivism, to be only one (highly eurocentric) example of multiplicity of ways we can relate to our environment. Also in this, the concept of Rhizome and the connectivity inherent to it, can be a helpful tool for imagining alternatives.
Lighter related texts!
Lea Zeitoun, from Glastonbury to the Venice biennale: exploring mycelium’s architectural potential
Text can be found here.
Elise Vanden Elsacker, Mycelium matters – an interdisciplinary exploration of the fabrication and properties of mycelium based material
Veeeery throughout PhD thesis fungi based lignocellulosic composites and their architectural possibilities. Includes practical guide on how to grow fungi to replace fossil fuel-based building material.
Paul Stamets, Mycelium Running: How Mushrooms can help save the world
Variety of perspectives on how to utilize the fungi.
Merlin Sheldrake – Entangled life
Mind-altering study of the world of fungi: everything from how mushrooms shape our forests to how they can shape our minds. If mushrooms aren’t that familiar a topic to you very recommended. Nice to read before bed.
National Geographic Society: Flora, Fauna, Funga
Can be watched here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DsnWcWeyoI
What happens to the world if forests stop absorbing carbon? Ask Finland.
An article in The Guardian about the unsustainability of the Finnish forest industry. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/oct/15/finland-emissions-target-forests-peatlands-sinks-absorbing-carbon-aoe
Want to learn more but don’t feel like reading? Here’s a video lecture.
In October 2024 we organized an event called Regenerative Futures: Rhizomatic thinking and architecture. The event programme included lectures related to the theme of Rhizome, and we recommend the lecture below How to make a rhizome (out of the concept of rhizome) by Pontus Purokuru for those who want to dive deeper to the theme.
