The Guardians of Living Matter: Review

Fifty years in the future, humanity has stepped down from the podium of Earth’s dominant species. Generations of damage to the planet’s ecosystem has now given rise to a new form of life: a living, breathing web of mycelium, supercharged by AI. In the latest exhibition to hit Salford’s Lowry theatre, the technology of the future meets organisms of the ancient past to create a true kaleidoscope of an experience.

Created by artists John-Paul Brown and Sophy King, ‘The Guardians of Living Matter’ is a multi-sensory exhibition spread across several distinct rooms. Set in a research lab in the distant future, visitors are invited to explore the work of two environmental scientists as they study the lifeforms slowly invading their offices. Cheery Post-it notes are peppered across the space as bizarre, otherworldly tendrils break through the walls. Bolstered by low soundtrack of birdsong and electricity that echoes from room to room, a gigantic, glowing web of real fungus gazes down from the ceiling, watching and reacting to your presence through machines.

Despite the visions of apocalypse that may surface from such a description, The Guardians of Living Matter finds itself far from the likes of ‘The Last of Us’ and ‘The Girl with All the Gifts’. Rather, its vision of a sentient fungal takeover brings with it a degree of optimism for a world where the climate crisis, finally, seems to have cooled down, and scientists can now experiment with a new, post-climate field of environmental research. Much like a parent picking up after their toddler, the new fungal lifeform has stepped in to magically fix the disaster, while humanity is relegated to the proverbial naughty step to think about what it’s done.

In the wake of ongoing concern over AI and the environment, Brown and King have chosen to shift the narrative to what could happen if the two worked alongside each other instead. In a conscious effort to remain carbon-friendly, every material from the exhibition is repurposed from across Manchester – and will be repurposed again after the exhibition ends in March. The mycelium statue was built with discarded tree branches, and the fungus grown over the course of 8 months with the help of gardening experts in Hulme. All the materials are available to be touched, held, and examined on a special sensory wall, alongside a vast array of literature that visitors can use to learn more about the Earth’s fungus.

For Brown and King, the sense of reassurance is a central tenet of the piece. With stories of climate disaster and environmental decline dominating headlines for decades, ‘The Guardians of Living Matter’ tackles climate exhaustion head-on by raising questions about collaboration, beauty, and the manifestation of hope. In this reality, AI has become a low-carbon, non-destructive tool for change and protection, and a world where humanity is overpowered by both nature and its own creations is allowed to be beautiful. It’s a delight to wander through the space knowing this is the vision of Brown and King’s optimistic future – and more delightful still to wonder how your own optimistic future would look in comparison.

‘The Guardians of Living Matter’ is unique, conceptual, and charmingly earnest in its hope for the future, and promises a different experience with every visit. This exhibition is a daring ‘what if?’ in a world often weighed down by climate pessimism, and a real treat to explore and uncover. A fantastic visit.

The Guardians of Living Matter is at the Lowry, Salford, until 29 March 2026.