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Mushrooms In Art
October 1-17, 2025 Opening: October 1, 2025, 17:00 Zamek Veleslavín 16200 Prague 6 Czech Republic |
Amanita's Dream
30x30cm Prague, 2025 Acrylic on Canvas |
There You Are
14x24x13cm Prague, 2025 Acrylic on Clay and Birch Bark |
Hidden Treasures
40x30cm Prague, 2025 Acrylic on Canvas |
Amanita
7x7cm Prague, 2025 Acrylic on Canvas |
Eye Catching
30x30cm Prague, 2025 Acrylic on Canvas |
Glowing Woodlands
20x50cm Prague, 2025 Acrylic on Canvas |
Bioluminescence
20x50cm Prague, 2025 Acrylic on Canvas |
"Exhibition of mushrooms in all forms, mushrooms in painting, drawing, watercolor, ceramics, in professional photography, mushrooms poured into resin as jewelry, milled from wood, mushrooms from prominent authors and from the smallest children from the folk art school, paintings painted with mushroom colors, mushrooms creatively engraved into gramophone boards, paintings inspired by hallucinogenic mushrooms, mushroom-themed gifts, T-shirts, bags, baskets, all equipment for mushroom pickers, fresh and lyofilized mushrooms, mushroom tinctures, mushroom sales, tastings, mushroom info panels, whatever comes to your mind about mushrooms! For 17 days in October, Zamek Veleslavin will be a great location to meet the widest mushroom-growing community, offering a unique networking space and an almost daily accompanying program.
We will be presenting works of famous artists, who dedicated a large part of their work to mushrooms Anna Plešmídová, Marie Ladrová and Irene Antonez and who will prepare interesting commented tours. In cooperation with the Czech Mycological Society we will help you identify the mushrooms you brought, there will be art workshops for children and adults, expert lectures, book launch, with our partners we are preparing a mini-market dedicated to mushrooms and the culmination will be a unique tasting evening in cooperation with top chefs. Come to the opening of this original exhibition and choose one of the accompanying programs we have prepared for you."
We will be presenting works of famous artists, who dedicated a large part of their work to mushrooms Anna Plešmídová, Marie Ladrová and Irene Antonez and who will prepare interesting commented tours. In cooperation with the Czech Mycological Society we will help you identify the mushrooms you brought, there will be art workshops for children and adults, expert lectures, book launch, with our partners we are preparing a mini-market dedicated to mushrooms and the culmination will be a unique tasting evening in cooperation with top chefs. Come to the opening of this original exhibition and choose one of the accompanying programs we have prepared for you."
Fun facts and numbers for the Fungi Fest:
"From the very first moment I discovered that cultural events were being held at Veleslavín Castle, I literally turned the exhibition “Mushrooms in Art” into the FUNGI FEST 2025 festival overnight. In 20 days, my colleagues and I lit up the castle for 17 days and connected the worlds of mycology and art. I consider it one of my greatest production achievements, but at the same time, due to time and financial pressure, we faced many challenging situations from day one and truly pushed ourselves to the limit. Thank you to everyone who got involved in the project and to our partners who tolerated that not everything at the castle could be completed exactly according to plan. Special thanks go to Prague 6 and Petr Klouček from the municipal office, who believed in us and gave the project the green light even under extreme time pressure. One month later, we present a final report and look back at the first edition of this original mushroom festival 🍄
FUNGI FEST has successfully completed its premiere—let’s recall everything that took place during the 17 days from October 1 to October 17, 2025, at Veleslavín Castle (Prague 6), along with the main events and moments of the festival. The format itself—connecting the worlds of mycology and art into one whole—was a unique concept that stood apart from traditional mushroom exhibitions, experiential festivals, farmers’ markets, or purely artistic showcases. Visitors greatly appreciated this new and creative approach and often attended multiple events at the castle, though it also brought various production challenges, such as how to organize such a diverse program “under one castle roof,” how to approach overall promotion, and who the main target audience should be. The aim was to reach both the general public and experts, allowing everyone to find something of interest or something new within the program.
The main part of the festival was a thematic exhibition featuring 35 artists, each capturing their own original perspective on the world of fungi. Three main artists had their own exhibition rooms along with guided evening programs accompanied by music or concerts. The most popular space, as voted by visitors, was the UV room, which served as a calming, glowing oasis throughout the demanding festival. There was also an exhibition of live mushrooms, which—unlike traditional displays with hundreds of species—focused on the most significant or visually striking varieties. This exhibition was followed, in cooperation with the Czech Mycological Society, by a block of three expert lectures.
Another section focused on exhibitors selling mushrooms, related products, and themed items in a mini-market format, along with art workshops for children led by our artists and a small fairytale forest. A separate highlight was a grand tasting evening, where a team of top chefs prepared a nine-course menu composed entirely of the finest mushroom dishes in a luxury fine-dining style, complemented by wine pairings.
There were also humorous moments—for example, on the day of the parliamentary elections, we organized a lighthearted vote for the most beautiful bolete mushroom in the Czech Republic, which was ceremonially crowned and given an honorary place at the castle in a moss basket, where it was regularly cared for and watered.
The festival also carried a more serious dimension—thanks to media attention and a viral video featuring a giant mushroom basket (created as a festival attraction and registered in the Czech Book of Records), an auction was held at the end of the festival. A significant portion of the proceeds—41,000 CZK—was donated to the Genitrix Foundation Fund.
The culmination of the festival was the Amanita Ball—a creatively designed event and the first of its kind, attracting many figures from both the art and business worlds. It served as a playful networking event among artists, partners, the festival team, and businesspeople. Guests embraced the Amanita-themed dress code, creating a visually striking scene with the castle lit in red and guests dressed in red and white. The highlight of the evening was a final UV fashion show inspired by Alice in Wonderland ✨
Main organizers: Czech Fungi and the event agency Fotosféra s.r.o.
Key festival statistics:
* 4.5 million views – total global reach of the viral video with the giant basket (Facebook, Instagram, stories, reels)
* 250,000 CZK – festival budget
* 81,000 CZK – raised from the auction of the basket, artwork, and Amanita costume
* Over 1,000 unique festival visitors (excluding visitors to other events and exhibitions at the castle)
* Over 200 exhibited works (+ 8 panels of children’s drawings)
* 135 marzipan mushrooms
* 122 bottles of quality Italian wine + 80 bottles of prosecco
* Over 100 significant species of mushrooms (fresh, dried, and freeze-dried)
* 90 wooden and ceramic mushrooms, some larger than life (largest weighing 60 kg)
* 85 people involved in preparing the festival
* 50 Czech Fungi badges distributed
* 35 exhibiting artists (including 7 international)
* 22 partners and exhibitors
* 20 luxury gift baskets with partner products
* 18 professional lights illuminating the castle (+12 LED lamps and 5 flashlights)
* 16 exhibited shiitake logs (5 produced shiitake mushrooms)
* 14 banners (2x1 m) about the world of fungi
* 12 standalone festival events and 12 festival posters
* 10 young Amanita dancers at the opening from an art school in Most
* 9-course luxury mushroom menu + mushroom catering and one grilled milk cap event
* 8 musical performances or concerts
* 6 major media features
* 5 guided tours
* 5 exhibitor stands
* 4 drying nets with mushrooms and herbs scenting the castle
* 3 performances by professional violinists
* 2 theatre plays
* 2 food trucks
* 1 largest mushroom basket in the world!" -- Curator and organizer, Jan Hodač
"From the very first moment I discovered that cultural events were being held at Veleslavín Castle, I literally turned the exhibition “Mushrooms in Art” into the FUNGI FEST 2025 festival overnight. In 20 days, my colleagues and I lit up the castle for 17 days and connected the worlds of mycology and art. I consider it one of my greatest production achievements, but at the same time, due to time and financial pressure, we faced many challenging situations from day one and truly pushed ourselves to the limit. Thank you to everyone who got involved in the project and to our partners who tolerated that not everything at the castle could be completed exactly according to plan. Special thanks go to Prague 6 and Petr Klouček from the municipal office, who believed in us and gave the project the green light even under extreme time pressure. One month later, we present a final report and look back at the first edition of this original mushroom festival 🍄
FUNGI FEST has successfully completed its premiere—let’s recall everything that took place during the 17 days from October 1 to October 17, 2025, at Veleslavín Castle (Prague 6), along with the main events and moments of the festival. The format itself—connecting the worlds of mycology and art into one whole—was a unique concept that stood apart from traditional mushroom exhibitions, experiential festivals, farmers’ markets, or purely artistic showcases. Visitors greatly appreciated this new and creative approach and often attended multiple events at the castle, though it also brought various production challenges, such as how to organize such a diverse program “under one castle roof,” how to approach overall promotion, and who the main target audience should be. The aim was to reach both the general public and experts, allowing everyone to find something of interest or something new within the program.
The main part of the festival was a thematic exhibition featuring 35 artists, each capturing their own original perspective on the world of fungi. Three main artists had their own exhibition rooms along with guided evening programs accompanied by music or concerts. The most popular space, as voted by visitors, was the UV room, which served as a calming, glowing oasis throughout the demanding festival. There was also an exhibition of live mushrooms, which—unlike traditional displays with hundreds of species—focused on the most significant or visually striking varieties. This exhibition was followed, in cooperation with the Czech Mycological Society, by a block of three expert lectures.
Another section focused on exhibitors selling mushrooms, related products, and themed items in a mini-market format, along with art workshops for children led by our artists and a small fairytale forest. A separate highlight was a grand tasting evening, where a team of top chefs prepared a nine-course menu composed entirely of the finest mushroom dishes in a luxury fine-dining style, complemented by wine pairings.
There were also humorous moments—for example, on the day of the parliamentary elections, we organized a lighthearted vote for the most beautiful bolete mushroom in the Czech Republic, which was ceremonially crowned and given an honorary place at the castle in a moss basket, where it was regularly cared for and watered.
The festival also carried a more serious dimension—thanks to media attention and a viral video featuring a giant mushroom basket (created as a festival attraction and registered in the Czech Book of Records), an auction was held at the end of the festival. A significant portion of the proceeds—41,000 CZK—was donated to the Genitrix Foundation Fund.
The culmination of the festival was the Amanita Ball—a creatively designed event and the first of its kind, attracting many figures from both the art and business worlds. It served as a playful networking event among artists, partners, the festival team, and businesspeople. Guests embraced the Amanita-themed dress code, creating a visually striking scene with the castle lit in red and guests dressed in red and white. The highlight of the evening was a final UV fashion show inspired by Alice in Wonderland ✨
Main organizers: Czech Fungi and the event agency Fotosféra s.r.o.
Key festival statistics:
* 4.5 million views – total global reach of the viral video with the giant basket (Facebook, Instagram, stories, reels)
* 250,000 CZK – festival budget
* 81,000 CZK – raised from the auction of the basket, artwork, and Amanita costume
* Over 1,000 unique festival visitors (excluding visitors to other events and exhibitions at the castle)
* Over 200 exhibited works (+ 8 panels of children’s drawings)
* 135 marzipan mushrooms
* 122 bottles of quality Italian wine + 80 bottles of prosecco
* Over 100 significant species of mushrooms (fresh, dried, and freeze-dried)
* 90 wooden and ceramic mushrooms, some larger than life (largest weighing 60 kg)
* 85 people involved in preparing the festival
* 50 Czech Fungi badges distributed
* 35 exhibiting artists (including 7 international)
* 22 partners and exhibitors
* 20 luxury gift baskets with partner products
* 18 professional lights illuminating the castle (+12 LED lamps and 5 flashlights)
* 16 exhibited shiitake logs (5 produced shiitake mushrooms)
* 14 banners (2x1 m) about the world of fungi
* 12 standalone festival events and 12 festival posters
* 10 young Amanita dancers at the opening from an art school in Most
* 9-course luxury mushroom menu + mushroom catering and one grilled milk cap event
* 8 musical performances or concerts
* 6 major media features
* 5 guided tours
* 5 exhibitor stands
* 4 drying nets with mushrooms and herbs scenting the castle
* 3 performances by professional violinists
* 2 theatre plays
* 2 food trucks
* 1 largest mushroom basket in the world!" -- Curator and organizer, Jan Hodač
