(UN)EARTHING SOIL - A DAY OF EXPLORATION

The SOIL symposium took place on 4 April 2025 at Somerset House. Hosted by The Land Gardeners (co-curators of the SOIL exhibition) we welcomed artists, scientists, architects, farmers, gardeners, and activists for a day of exchange, provocation, and radical imagination around the power and potential of soil. The day saw wide-ranging sessions on urban regeneration, creative collaboration, microbial ecologies and more, with conversations rooted in deep care for the land beneath our feet – and the communities connected to it.

After a warm welcome from Bridget Elworthy of The Land Gardeners, powerful orator and thinker Satish Kumar gave a moving keynote about the importance and joy of being connected to the earth and its natural cycles, and in so doing how we can protect the planet’s future and ours. A peace-pilgrim, life-long activist and former monk, Satish has been inspiring global change for over 50 years. He undertook a pilgrimage for peace, walking for two years without money from India to America for the cause of nuclear disarmament. Now in his 80s, Satish Kumar has devoted his life to campaigning for ecological regeneration and social justice.  

Session 1: Tending to the Earth’s cycles – chaired by Jennifer Wong (Science Gallery London) explored how we can tune into natural cyclical systems of the earth.  

ffin Jordão introduced us to their not-for-proft Criw Compostio which provides a full circular economy bio-waste service, taking waste food and biodegradable materials and turning them into soil nourishing compost.

Marc-André Selosse, biologist revealed the secrets of the invisible world that connects us all to the world of microbes and the mutual dependency inherent to all living things. In particular highlighting the interconnectedness of soil, air, and water, and their vital roles in ecological systems and plant life. 

Artist Iman Datoo talked about her practice exploring the forces of agency, liveness and animacy between plants, soils and people. Interested in what it means to reorient ourselves around invisibilised bodies, such as imaging ourselves as soil, she asks what we can learn from these embodied experiences.

Session 2: Nurturing Urban Soils focused on London’s soil and its caretakers ranging from community gardening, to urban green space infrastructure and herbalism.

Land in Our Names talked about their work reconnecting Black and People of Colour to the land, addressing issues of inequality in access to land and food; and organising toward a collective ownership and land stewardship by Black and People of Colour.

Clare Norwood spoke about the work of Groundwork London an organisation which supports urban communities to help improve and enjoy their green spaces creating a future in which people, places, and nature can thrive.

Rasheeqa Ahmad a medical herbalist introduced us to her organisation Community Apothecary which aims to make plant medicine accessible to people in their local environments; enabling them to take part in mutually supportive healthcare - connecting with ecosystems, cultivating and processing healing medicines, learning together and supporting each other.  

The session was chaired by Errol Reuben Fernandes, Head of Horticulture at the Horniman Museum & Gardens and an advocate for access, diversity and sustainability in terms of land and green spaces. He presented a film about the ‘wasteland’  a large brownfield site near his childhood home that he played in as a boy, and talked about the critical importance of an early connection to nature in order that we can see ourselves as part of the wider ecosystem, and to therefore care about it and to protect it.

Towards the end of the session an important issue was raised about how we balance the need to preserve brownfield and green spaces on-the-one-hand with the urgent need to build more affordable housing for our growing population on the other.

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Session 3: Building Blocks – looked at the material potential of soil across fashion, architecture and production with discussions around biomaterials, regenerative farming practices, and sustainable, ethical, production. Chaired by materials translator Seetal Solanki.

Architect Takeshi Hayatsu presented projects including his collaboration with Grizedale Arts to build a new cold store for the Farmers Arms using ancient Japanese production methods such as Shikkui-style plaster. Edward Hill of Materra talked about the company’s regenerative approach to cotton production in the fashion industry, working with small-holder farmers in India. Biodesigner Chris Bellamy introduced us to a living material he created in collaboration with Polynesian artisans using bioluminescent algae which can be used to make items such as garments or jewellery. And we listened to sound artist Felicity Mangan’s composition produced using soil-related field recordings and explored how biorhythms shape her practice.

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Performance Lecture was given by artist Ling Tan whose practice focuses on people’s collective agency and responsibility in tackling complex issues. Working with diverse communities across the UK and internationally, she develops participatory projects on different scales that help people make sense of their environments, expressing opinions in a playful and performative way. She involved the audience in thinking about their own participation in access to green space and sustainable practices, and explored examples of her practice such as Low Carbon Chinatown - a participatory ‘meal-as-performance’ project that brings people together to address the climate crisis through our food systems.

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Session 4: Extending our Thinking on Food Systems – looked at sustainable agriculture and community building and was chaired by SOIL co-curator May Rosenthal Sloan.

Agricultural microbiologist Caroline Wahome discussed her participation in a fascinating interdisciplinary research collaboration with Glasgow School of Art, working to create woodblock printed bio-sensors, a low-cost biodegradable soil sensor which can be made and used anywhere in the world using conductive ink made from every day materials such as egg, charcoal and seed oils. This would be used by small-holder farmers to check the quality of their soil and help them plan the best growing methods and regenerative practices for their farms.

Finally Natasha Pencil gave an inspiring talk about how she set up Black Farmers Market to tackle the huge lack of opportunities for Black Farmers in the UK despite farmer's markets increasing everywhere, providing a safe space for local growers and new businesses to reach new customers, whilst restoring the value of environmentalism and agriculture within in the Black Community.

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Presented at Somerset House in collaboration with Gaia Art Foundation, and with support from the World LivingSoils Forum by Moët Hennessy, The SOIL Symposium was part of the wider public programme connected to the exhibition SOIL: The World at Our Feet – exploring soil as a life-giving force and an agent of cultural, ecological, and societal change.

A huge thank you to all who contributed their voices and practices, and too all who joined us.

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Images: Nana Ama, courtesy of Somerset House

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