Soil is the foundation of life on earth. Soil is an archive of the past and a necessity of the future. But do humans have a sense of soil, or can we develop one? How might we train this ‘Sense of Soil’?
Everything on earth is related to soil somehow. But the living soil is under pressure in our world today. We might need to train our individual and collective Sense of Soil. Danish artist and speculative designer Maria Viftrup collaborated with the organization Jordens Hus to create a new discipline of “Soil Sensing” in between art, science and agriculture.
30 Nordic scientists, artists and farmers were invited to contribute with experiments in ways of sensing, understanding and relating to soil. Based on this research Maria Viftrup created a “Soil Sense Training Facility” where visitors come in close contact with soil matters.
About Maria Viftrup
Maria Viftrup (DK b.1993) is working with care for the unvalued, the dusty, the smallest, and the sensuous. Her work exists in the field in between art and experimental design. She facilitates encounters between humans and matter. Her practice often includes other people in experiments, as a way of challenging her own artistic control and creating a generous space for dialogues between artist and viewer. Her works ranges from neatly sorted dust and fragments to explosive “smashing-events” where the audience is invited to build and break the exhibited works themselves. Her colorful, sensuous universe explores care and curiosity in themes such as other-than-human worlds, ecosystems, resources, waste and value. For the moment she is collaborating with Danish organization Jordens Hus / House of Soil in the project JORDSANS.
Maria Viftrup has exhibited and collaborated with Munkeruphus (DK), NOBA - Norwegian BioArt Arena (NO), Copenhagen Contemporary (DK), Augustina Kunsthal (DK), ARoS kunstmuseum (DK), Risør Kunstpark (NO) amongst others. She holds a MA from Kolding Design School. Read more about Maria Viftrup
About Jordens Hus (House of Soil)
Jordens Hus is a Danish organization founded to create interest, awareness and connections between human beings and the living soil diversity. The organization produces experimental and artistic formats to communicate a variety of issues around soil and its biodiversity. We care deeply about practicing care for the earth through collaborations between artists, scientists and farmers. Jordens hus is running the temporary exhibition platform Renæssancejord at Vridsløselille Statsfængsel.
Jordens Hus is founded and lead by Sissel Fuldsang-Smidt. Sissel holds an MA in Art Theory from Goldsmiths, London and a BA in Performance Design from RUC. Read more about Jordens Hus
