The Fabric of Soils OR Der Stoff aus dem die Erde is(s)t

A Work in Progress

This project builds upon existing practices of visualising or working with the composition of soil, which are prominent in the natural sciences, environmental and bio art. An attempt is made to create a fabric-based medium that makes visible the life contained in soils and the difference between soils at various locations in Vienna.

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Soil organisms clean our waste and water and provide nutrients crucial for biodiversity and growing food. Soils regulate droughts and floods, store carbon and play an important role in modulating the greenhouse gas cycles which control our climate. Soils also contain traces of history. Especially mistreatments can remain present in the soil’s composition for a significant time. Residue from industrial processes and heavy pesticide use often end up harming humans and ecosystem health.

Through soil I have been introduced to a variety of matters such as the relationship between climate change and soil health, new developments in textile dyes using soil bacteria and historical accounts of Vienna’s industrial evolution. My curiosity about soil was triggered when I joined the organic agricultural and social initiative Kleine Stadtfarm. The soil was thriving in particular places and I became interested in something I largely ignored until this point – a fascination I would like to pass on through this project.

The final objects of this project should not be understood as a scientific tool, but rather as an artistic strategy to make visible the life contained in soils, which is critical for survival.

Time

Summer Semester 20/21

Team

Sabrina Haas