DOWN TO EARTH: THE MAPPING SESSION
31 October – 1 November 2022
Aalto Design Factory, Espoo

A soil chromatography and mapping workshop with Aino Johansson and Sirja Moberg facilitated by the Bioart Society.

Down to Earth: The Mapping Session is a two-day hands-on workshop at Aalto Design Factory in Otaniemi on 31st of October and 1st of November. This workshop is based on the Down To Earth workshop series by Aino Johansson and Sirja Moberg, held during 2021 and 2022. The aim of this new workshop is to shift the attention to the sampling sites, their context. The workshop continues to reflect on how soil chromatography can open up multiple aspects of soil to us and in our (artistic) practices and brings in aspects and attempts of mapping to extract and highlight context and relations between sample, site and collector.

Participants are asked to bring their own soil samples and to collect different information and data about their sampling sites and procedures, for example, coordinates, nature type, the weather, surroundings, their own spatial experience and other subjectivities in any form suitable like verbal, written, audio, video or other. During the workshop, the participants go through the process of making soil chromatographies with their own soil samples and then explore and test experimental and comparative methods to collectively map their soils and additional data and information. Participants will also use investigative tools like microscopes to learn more about the hidden aspects of the samples and take a guided meditative nature walk in Otaniemi.

During the workshop, the participants and hosts will discuss different aspects of soil to cultivate their understanding of it. The aim is to explore our relationship to the soils we inhabit – their role in the networks of the manifold ecosystems of planet Earth and the different kinds of agencies within. The program also includes guest speakers from the fields of art and science.

Down to Earth: The Mapping Session builds upon the two preceding Down to Earth soil chromatography workshops, growing into an autonomous workshop ensemble, expanded with new aspects on the themes and topics of the previous workshops. For this reason, both prior workshop participants and new applicants are equally encouraged to apply.

The soil chromatography technique was developed by Ehrenfried Pfeiffer in the 1950s and it was considered ground-breaking as a pictorial method for portraying biological processes. The method was developed to provide farmers and composters a snapshot of the biological activity and health of the soil.

Η συνέχεια εδώ.