Wednesday November 12th 2025
Hyphae of a Stinkhorn mycelium, part of a Timelapse film made by Dr Patrick Hickey which is featured in the exhibition
Written by Midlothian View Reporter, Liam Eunson
Taking its audience though the enigmatic world underground, Fungi Sessions marks the premiere of transatlantic musician, Hannah Read’s albums, The Fungi Sessions Vol. 1 and soon to be released Vol. 2, and her work with Dr Patrick Hickey, a mycologist and pioneer of fungi timelapse films.
This collaborative audiovisual installation will take place in the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh’s John Hope Gateway Gallery, Arboretum Place, Edinburgh. The exhibition is free entry, suitable for all ages, and runs until January 11.
As a PhD student, Patrick worked with Nick at the University of Edinburgh. He began optimising techniques to photograph and film fungal cells as they grew. His work has featured in BBC’s After Life, The Magic of Mushrooms, The Fascinating World of Fungi and Planet Earth |||. Since then, while continuing his research into mycelium and hyphae, its filamentous threads, Patrick has become committed to communicating the world of fungi.
He explained: “Fungi abound in staggering variety. Yet, while our understanding of this diverse kingdom has come a long way, mycology remains under researched and underfunded. While we estimate more than five million species exist, only 155,000 have been formally described and named.
“We need to be creative in how we communicate the wonders of fungi, if we are to encourage wider understanding and engagement. The films and music in Fungi Forms mostly feature species that can be found around Scotland. It is our hope that visitors will be inspired to go out and see them with fresh eyes.”
Inspired by Patrick’s films, Hannah composed The Fungi Sessions volumes, while in woods outside Anchorage, Alaska, Eucalyptus lined hills behind San Mateo, California, and in the Moorfoot Hills of the Scottish Borders. Hannah is also a part of folk supergroup, Songs of Separation. She thrives on collaboration, across musical genres and at the intersection between music and science.
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