Soil is the most important and essential ecosystem, linked to every function on the planet. We have always known this, but somehow it has been forgotten. Despite its value to life on earth and our vast scientific advancements, we know surprising little about soil. According to the agroecologist and author, Nicole Masters, “We know nothing about soil. Well, maybe we know a bit, like 1% of 1% of 1%.”
Masters advocates that we must (re)learn to appreciate how soil sustains and nourishes all life on earth. This is the crux of the remarkable ‘SOIL: The world at our feet‘ exhibition. Curated to provoke surprise, delight, alarm and provide hope, through playful meditation, the exhibition reveals the richness of soil, whilst urging an immediate, more sustainable relationship with the Earth. The answers to the environmental crises we face, may after all lie in the beautiful, complex world at our feet.
“This exhibition will showcase how soil is the great interconnector, and yet how little we know about it. For too long human activities have had a detrimental effect on the health of our soil. Here, the artists are asking that we take a fresh look at this hugely important ecosystem which is living beneath our feet. Audiences can expect to see stunning artistic interventions and groundbreaking scientific practices that zooms our focus deep underground,” explains co-curator Claire Catterall, Senior Curator at Somerset House.
Enabling creative connections
Featuring more than 50 works by contemporary artists, gardeners, scientists and activists, from film to sculpture, as well as historical artefacts and contributions from scientists, the exhibition cunningly explores and celebrates the power and potential of soil, allowing the audience to interact with soil – on a deeper level.
Co-curated by The Land Gardeners, Henrietta Courtauld and Bridget Elworthy; curator and writer May Rosenthal Sloan and Claire Catterall, Senior Curator at Somerset House, this is must-see exhibition. It was truly heartening to see soil, as the star of the show and importantly, exhibited at a well-known, respected and importantly, mainstream gallery in London. The home of cultural innovators, Somerset House is an acclaimed arts destination. Celebrating its 25th birthday year, Somerset House has played and continues to play in the cultural world and champions sustainability across the organisation and through their cultural programmes.
Step inside, think outside
SOIL is presented across three sections; (1) Life below ground, (2) Life above ground, and (3) Hope. The presented works and installations at the exhibition, showcase the beauty and wonder of soil, and ties with climate change, health, nutrition and (regenerative) farming practices.
“This exhibition is about the interconnection of soil and all life. Soil cannot be seen in isolation. It is connected with everything – from seeds, to roots to plants to animals to humans and to the planets. Soil is life below ground and sustains life above ground. We are taking people on a journey to understand the wonder of soil, how we have used it and abused it but how there are signs of hope that if we respect it and work with it we can save life on this planet,” explain Henrietta Courtauld and Bridget Elworthy.
Activism and conservation through creativity
Installations that really struck a cord:
Wim van Egmond
The mesmerising ‘Soil in action’ by Wim van Egmond, in collaboration with musician Michael Prime. A double-height installation that makes the invisible visible, through micro-photography and the sounds of microbial life in soil.
France Bourély, Marshmallow Laser Feast & Daro Montag
The striking photographs by France Bourély, ‘Arista’, showcase using micron scale photography, the beings that inhabit the soil. They bring one face to face with a dung beetle, ant and a bee’s wing.
‘Fly Agraric’ by the Art collective Marshmallow Laser Feast, depicts the fascinating world of fungi and mycelium networks, illuminating the hidden kingdoms of life underground. The work reveals the relationship with soil and the diverse species it harbours, from trees and fungi to bacteria, archaea, and protozoa – providing a unique lens on the microcosms that sustain life on Earth.
Daro Montag’s ‘This Earth 6’, depict the colourful and textural beauty of soil microbes to show the complexity of soil as a living organism.
Jo Pearl
The exhibition’s poster image of ‘Unearthed’ – the ceramic installation of mycelium by Jo Pearl is even more beautiful up close. Her second installation, ‘Oddkin’ celebrates the vast diversity of the soil’s biome reflecting the fact that just one cup of healthy soil contains around 200 billion bacteria, 20 million protozoa, 100,000 nematodes, 100,000 meters of fungi and probably a couple of earthworms…
Herman de Vries, Kim Norton & Diana Scherer
‘From Earth’ by Herman de Vries is collection of soil samples collected since the 1970’s from across the world. The colour and texture of the soil specimens, speak volumes about their origins.
Miranda Whall‘s ‘When earth speaks – Dirty drawing’, is a beautifully detailed black and white representation of the soil’s sensory network, exploring the boundaries between nature, data, and human perception.
Kim Norton‘s ‘Soil Library 2017 – ongoing’ is a magical, working collection of soil and clay samples, presented in dainty pinch pots. Each one revealing a small part of a place in relation to its geological topography. Norton is also showing an intriguing array of allotment buried cotton fabric swatches, providing a visual marker of the health of each patch of land.
‘Hyper Ryzome’ is Diana Scherer’s vast textile installation that cunningly captures the beauty and strength of plant roots – examining the boundaries between plant culture and plant nature.
Ken Griffiths
A real favourite – and suspect this to be the case for many visitors, is the series of charming photographs of ‘The Sweetmans, in ‘A country cottage’ (1974) by Ken Griffiths. Taken over the course of a single year, the photographs are an intimate portrayal of one couple and their garden – illustrating the labour of love that is gardening.
Don’t walk, run…
SOIL is a truly energising exhibition. Even for a seasoned gardener, it was really good to be reminded of the priceless value and I thoroughly appreciated to seeing soil, celebrated, at eye level, in all manner of artistic interpretations.
‘SOIL: The World At Our Feet‘ runs until the 13th of April 2025, in the Embankment galleries at Somerset house in London.