Mobile Soils: Overground
Sustainable Agroecosystems Greenhouse Lab, ETH Zurich
Zurich, Switzerland
September 24th, 2022
Sustainable Agroecosystems Greenhouse Lab, ETH Zurich
Zurich, Switzerland
September 24th, 2022
Mobile Soils is a series of three dinners in collaboration between the Sustainable Agroecosystems Greenhouse Lab of ETH Zurich, Manon Briod and Mathieu Pochon, arvae, foodculture days, and TETI Group. As part of a series of thematic exchanges between science, art, and agronomy, the dinners unfolded the three chapters of the publication Mobile soils by TETI Press. This collection of essays reflects on the mobile ground beneath our feet, questioning the soil as both material and narrative in our interconnected territories, investigating the mineral and rooted discussions of the underground, looking at the layered and planted conversations on the ground, and finally exploring the circulation patterns across the overground. The first dinner, examined the chapter “underground” orchestrated by TETI group with scenographies devised by Manon Briod and Mathieu Pochon, while Arvae unfolded the second chapter “ground” in collaboration with Mariana Murcia.
As part of a series of thematic exchanges between science, art, and agronomy, the dinner unfolded the three chapters of the publication “Mobile Soils” by TETI Press: investigating the mineral and rooted discussions of the underground, looking tat the layered and planted conversations on the ground, and finally exploring the circulating patterns across the overground. Mobile Soils is a collection of essays reflecting on the mobile ground beneath our feet, questioning the soil as both material and narrative in our interconnected territories. Texts by artists, curators, historians, engineers, environmental scientists, architects, gardeners, and poets peer into the bright and dark worlds of the underground and look at memories, molecules, and resilience on the ground, industry, migration, and spectral presences on the overground. Throughout, authors revisit their own practice confronted to present earthly attachments and ecological pressure. It stemmed from a series of workshops organised in 2019 as part of the Baustelle und Botanic project.
For this final dinner of the series, Overground, foodculture days invited artist Grace Denis to examine the circulation of plants and nutrients at ground level, questioning the transit of plants and seeds through various terrains. Traversing beyond the subterranean into the plane in which we most frequently encounter plant matter, the dinner investigated the cycling of nutrients amongst plants, illustrating the circulatory forms inherent to cultivation. The evening commenced with a walk and discussion on the circulation of seeds by Kenza Benabderrazik and Anne-Laure Franchette with the activation of two pairs of boots, an artwork by Paloma Ayala about seed bombing on the Mexico/US border. Entering the greenhouse, visitors were welcomed by Manon Briod and Mathieu Pochon's scenography, with fluids circulating through a pump system and engraved bioplastics quoting the publication's overground essays. Extracts from the VOLUMES archive showcased artist publications exploring the evening's theme of plant circulation.
The first part of the dinner facilitated a conversation about beans and their role in nitrogen fixation, complemented by a degustation of various fresh and dried beans accompanied by fresh vegetables from Praz Bonjour. The dinner continued with the Edible Lexicon, in which participants of the dinner foraged for various definitions scattered about the greenhouse, followed by a discussion exploring the potential correlating terms. After a collective conversation about the definitions and the notion of undefining or unlearning, the terms were transcribed onto edible paper using beet ink. The second part of the Edible Lexicon prompted participants to forage for ingredients in the greenhouse to fill the spring rolls, resulting in a series of spontaneous edible encounters.
Overground was realised with the participation of Anne-Laure Franchette, Grace Denis, Kenza Benabderrazik, Manon Briod, Mathieu Pochon, Paloma Ayala, and VOLUMES. Supported by Pro Helvetia.
As part of a series of thematic exchanges between science, art, and agronomy, the dinner unfolded the three chapters of the publication “Mobile Soils” by TETI Press: investigating the mineral and rooted discussions of the underground, looking tat the layered and planted conversations on the ground, and finally exploring the circulating patterns across the overground. Mobile Soils is a collection of essays reflecting on the mobile ground beneath our feet, questioning the soil as both material and narrative in our interconnected territories. Texts by artists, curators, historians, engineers, environmental scientists, architects, gardeners, and poets peer into the bright and dark worlds of the underground and look at memories, molecules, and resilience on the ground, industry, migration, and spectral presences on the overground. Throughout, authors revisit their own practice confronted to present earthly attachments and ecological pressure. It stemmed from a series of workshops organised in 2019 as part of the Baustelle und Botanic project.
For this final dinner of the series, Overground, foodculture days invited artist Grace Denis to examine the circulation of plants and nutrients at ground level, questioning the transit of plants and seeds through various terrains. Traversing beyond the subterranean into the plane in which we most frequently encounter plant matter, the dinner investigated the cycling of nutrients amongst plants, illustrating the circulatory forms inherent to cultivation. The evening commenced with a walk and discussion on the circulation of seeds by Kenza Benabderrazik and Anne-Laure Franchette with the activation of two pairs of boots, an artwork by Paloma Ayala about seed bombing on the Mexico/US border. Entering the greenhouse, visitors were welcomed by Manon Briod and Mathieu Pochon's scenography, with fluids circulating through a pump system and engraved bioplastics quoting the publication's overground essays. Extracts from the VOLUMES archive showcased artist publications exploring the evening's theme of plant circulation.
The first part of the dinner facilitated a conversation about beans and their role in nitrogen fixation, complemented by a degustation of various fresh and dried beans accompanied by fresh vegetables from Praz Bonjour. The dinner continued with the Edible Lexicon, in which participants of the dinner foraged for various definitions scattered about the greenhouse, followed by a discussion exploring the potential correlating terms. After a collective conversation about the definitions and the notion of undefining or unlearning, the terms were transcribed onto edible paper using beet ink. The second part of the Edible Lexicon prompted participants to forage for ingredients in the greenhouse to fill the spring rolls, resulting in a series of spontaneous edible encounters.
Overground was realised with the participation of Anne-Laure Franchette, Grace Denis, Kenza Benabderrazik, Manon Briod, Mathieu Pochon, Paloma Ayala, and VOLUMES. Supported by Pro Helvetia.
TRAVERSING BEYOND THE SUBTERRANEAN INTO THE PLANE IN WHICH WE MOST FREQUENTLY ENCOUNTER PLANT MATTER, THE DINNER INVESTIGATED THE CYCLING OF NUTRIENTS AMONGST PLANTS, ILLUSTRATING THE CIRCULATORY FORMS INHERENT TO CULTIVATION.
