Soil Turn: A Field Guide Surveys Contemporary Artistic Engagements with Earth
'Soil Turn—A Field Guide to Artistic Earthly Engagements,' edited by Alexandra R. Toland and Patricia L. Watts, explores contemporary art focused on soil. Published by ecoartspace with the backing of Bauhaus-Universität Weimar, the book was released after the 2015 International Year of Soils. It features a variety of works, including edible soil and floating food forests. Key essays include Elise Malik's insights into soil within European institutions and Lisa Moren's discussion of colonial issues in Australia. Artists highlighted in the publication are Brooke Singer, Saša Spačal, Michael Wang, Mary Mattingly, and Delcy Morelos. The work emphasizes a growing artistic approach centered on ecological care and interconnectedness, with contributions from numerous international artists.
Key facts
- The book 'Soil Turn—A Field Guide to Artistic Earthly Engagements' is edited by Alexandra R. Toland and Patricia L. Watts.
- It is published by ecoartspace with support from Bauhaus-Universität Weimar.
- The publication responds to increased artistic focus on soil since the 2015 International Year of Soils.
- It features essays, including one by Elise Malik on displaying soil in European venues and another by Lisa Moren on colonialism and the Diyari ochre mine.
- The guide surveys diverse international artists working with soil as material, memory site, and life source.
- Featured artworks include Delcy Morelos's 'Earthly Paradise' at the 2022 Venice Biennale and Mary Mattingly's 'Swale', a floating food forest in New York City.
- Folke Köbberling's 'Mash & Heal' project in Munich involves a slowly decomposing replica SUV.
- Asad Raza's 'Absorption' installation used 300 tonnes of soil in a Sydney exhibition.
Entities
Artists
- Alexandra R. Toland
- Patricia L. Watts
- Brooke Singer
- Saša Spačal
- Shawn Skabelund
- Christopher Lin
- The Tissue Culture & Art Project
- Jo Pearl
- Michael Wang
- Mary Mattingly
- Maru García
- Delcy Morelos
- Folke Köbberling
- Kosmologym
- Heather Bird Harris
- Cindee Klement
- Asad Raza
- Kathleen King
- Leslie Labowitz Starus
- Melinda Hurst Frye
- Erin Wiersma
- Lauren Bon
- Rachel Frank
- Future Farmers
- Ashanti Chaplin
- Kim V. Goldsmith
- Claire Pentecost
- Daniel Hengst
- Frances Whitehead
- Paula Castillo
- Liz Miller Kovacs
- Elise Malik
- Lisa Moren
Institutions
- ecoartspace
- Bauhaus-Universität Weimar
- Marble House Project
- Osmo/za
- Projekt Atol Institute
- Somerset House
- La Biennale di Venezia
- Public Art Munich
- Franconia Sculpture Park
- Metabolic Studio
Locations
- Los Angeles
- Weimar
- Germany
- Dorset
- Vermont
- United States
- Slovenia
- London
- United Kingdom
- Hong Kong
- China
- Berlin
- New York City
- New York
- Munich
- Sydney
- New South Wales
- Australia
- Atchafalaya Basin
- Louisiana
- Gulf of Mexico
- Mississippi River
- Oakland
- California
- San Jose
- Konza Prairie
- Kansas
- Manzano Mountains
- Veguita
- New Mexico
- Lake Eyre