Mutual Aid is an installation created by Stefano Mancuso and Pnat, presented as part of the Resilient Communities exhibition in the Italian Pavilion at the 17th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, with support from Therme Art.

The work explores the intricate systems of cooperation within underground root structures as a case study for how to live together harmoniously above ground. In an effort to address some of the most pressing environmental issues facing the world today, shifting away from ideas of self-identity towards a more inclusive understanding of collectively is essential. Mutual Aid asks us to take a critical look at the human-centric organisation of the world, and to adopt a view that acknowledges the constant, horizontal exchange taking place between plants, humans, bacteria, and fungi alike.

During the opening of the exhibition at La Biennale, Therme Art partnered with Serpentine to present Mutual Aid: The Politics of Gaia on 22 May, the first in a series of panel discussions that comprised the second edition of the 2021 Wellbeing Culture Forum.

Inspired by the multidisciplinary work of Pnat, as well as the writings of anarchist thinker Peter Kropotkin, the panel discussion invited scientists, designers and architects to consider the social and political lessons of plants and animals, as well as put forward practical solutions to foster greater reciprocity with natural life.

“We hold the false notion that life works through competition. It’s a concept we learned from individuals such as Charles Darwin’s followers, even though it wasn’t his preliminary idea. Competition is not the main force of evolution, the main force of evolution is cooperation, and cooperation is even more important in a stressful environment.” — Stefano Mancuso, Co-Founder of Pnat, Author & Professor of Botany at the University of Florence