From @centre_for_art_and_ecology

 

On the Spring Equinox at the Art Research Garden and Art & Ecology Laboratory, Goldsmiths University London, organised by CAE members Paul Granjon, Louie Destouches, and Jack Hannam.

 

The workshop opened with barefoot soil sensing, deep listening and chanelling the soil melodies through our humming and vibrating bodies, guided by voice practitioner Natasha Lohan. This was followed by an exploration of how to become human soil sensors, a collective vocal activation with the Singing Compost installation and a picnic in the sun as well as learning about the latest laboratory experiments with Shewanella bacteria.

 

Many rich conversations closed the workshop, touching on the importance of sensory approaches to soil health, the value of semi-informal gatherings and hybrid research formats and the role of small, collective steps in addressing climate anxiety, alongside DIY approaches to both science and art.

 

The workshop was funded by @blackmountainscollege and @britishcouncil as part of the Climate Adaptation for Creatives programme.

 

Images courtesy of @paulgranjon & @emerald_regeneration & @dirt_science

 

@paulgranjon
@petitfi.lou
@dirt_science

 

In Manchester on 3rd and 4th December: the 2025 annual conference of the British Society of Soil Science, dedicated to the study of soil in its widest aspects. The conference will include a pop-up exhibition with soil-related artworks by Jo Pearl, Daro Montag, Phil Lambert and myself. We will also discuss our work in an Art and Culture session chaired by eminent soil expert Prof Jack Hannam.

 

Looking forward to an intense soil science injection and enlightening microbial conversations!

 

 

 

 

On the Eurostar back to to the UK after spending a few days in Oberhausen Germany for the Soils of Ecological Union Symposium. Over the last few months, invited by ace Ukrainian artists-curators Natalia Matsenko @uncertainata and Yuri Yefanov @yuri_yefanov, we have engaged in fruitful online exchanges with Lisa Biletska @lisabetska, Jana Kerima @janakerima__, Lex Ruitten @lex.ruetten_, Lina Kusaite @linakusaite8, Vite Joksaite @vitejoksch, Margo Zalite @margo_zalite on the topic of soil and art.

Starting with soil and the utopian ideas around it, we moved on to discuss ecology and technology, non-human life, community awareness, urban nature, gardens and forests, art and activism, inevitability, optimism and the apocalyptic mindset.

The project concluded when we all met in real life for the symposium on October 2nd at the Unterhaus gallery @unterhaus.ob kitev.

 

The whole operation was managed by Kitev @kitev.de. Kitev (Kunst Im Turm ev) is a well established poly-function community art centre located in the former water tower of the central station in Oberhausen. It features residency spaces, offices, a cafe/kitchen/workshop area and the shared Unterhaus gallery nearby where we had the symposium.

 

During my stay artist in residence Margo Zalite ran a bamboo architecture workshop, a synthesizer community workshops and a public conversation on Art of the Palliative Turn, a dark notion developed by artist Olav Westphalen.

 

Kitev also hosts the Refugee Kitchen ran by a team of refugee women who cook and serve delicious meals to the public several times a week, reversing the image of the refugee queueing for food at a humanitarian facility. Also robotic workshops for children on Fridays.

 

All in all a great venue with excellent hospitality, many thanks @vitejoksch for hosting us :>))

 

 

Views of the Mud Machine installed in Kubu Culture House Björkboda, Finland, summer 2025 as part of the Garden and the Hedge exhibition. The machine was extended during a workshop held on the closing weekend, including a section made with primary school kids from the nearby town of Dalsbruk.

 

Kubu is a great art centre in rural Finland, gradually finding ways to combine local, national and international dimensions. The set-up is a former primary school, complete with gym and giant soup mixer. Kubu is run by Sari Kippilä and Tuomo Tammenpää, who provided first rate support and hospitality throughout :>))

 

My work in Kubu was partly funded by Wales Arts international and the Arts Council of Wales.
Many thanks to @dusjagr

 

More info on Mud Machines ==>

 

 

Finally got together with Louie Destouches, microbiologist extraordinaire, for finalising a microbial voltage datalogging device. For those of you unfamilar with the topic, some bacteria in the soil are electrogenic, which means they produce electrons as part of their metabolic process. These can be harvested with electrodes in the soil in what is called microbial fuel cells. The electrical output can be measured or used for powering very frugal, intermittent electronic systems.

 

 

The device we made uses a Raspberry Pi computer for measuring the voltages on 4 different microbial fuel cells, that can be visualised on a web interface.

We hope that the device will help us understand better the bacterial voltage variations and what are the optimal conditions (soil, moisture, temperature, etc…) for a reliable electrical output.

We have posted all the technical information and source code on Github, see summary below.

 

A similar interface is being used for the outdoor monitoring of microbial fuel cells in the Crymlyn Bog.

The project was partly funded by Cardiff School of Art and Design and by the Learned Society of Wales, 2025.

The prototype was deployed in the lab of the Centre for Art and Ecology, Goldsmiths University London 2025.

 

Github blurb ===================

 

MFC data logging device

The device monitors the voltage from 4 microbial fuel cells – voltage generated by bacterial activity near the electrodes in each cell.

The microbial fuel cells are connected to an analog to digital converter module [ https://wiki.seeedstudio.com/Grove-16-bit-ADC-ADS1115 ].

The A/D converter is connected to a Raspberry Pi that runs a python script (voltagesToSQL.py). The script reads the 4 outputs from the A/D converter, returns 4 voltage values in millivolts.

The voltages are displayed on the raspberry pi console and simultaneously posted to a remote php script (voltages_post_data.php) that inserts the voltage data in a SQL database.

Another php script (voltages_display_data.php) displays the data on a web page in a graph powered by highcharts.com.

 

As mentioned in the last post, a Mud Machine was installed as part of The Garden and the Hedge exhibition and programme in Kubu Kulturhus, Björkboda Finland.

 

 

The programme largely focuses on soil and art, with a great range of artworks and activities. The works invite reflection on soil health, boundaries, resilience, and our responsibilities to the living land.

As well as the exhibition, the programme includes workshops, talks, performances and collaborations all the way to the end of August. I will be there during the closing week, running a workshop and a conversation. I am looking forward to checking out exciting new ecological artworks and exploring a part of rural Finland.

Full details on the exhibition artworks and programme, curated by the fantastic curator artist professor Teresa Dillon, are now available HERE.

 

Forest Square 1, Antti Laitinen

 

Radio Air Garden, Magz Hall

 

Removing Defenses, Kalle Hamm and Dzamil Kamanger

==================

The Garden and the Hedge
International Summer Exhibition & Programme
5.6.–31.8.2025

Kulturhus Björlkboda (KUBU)
Smedskullavägen 3
25860 Björkboda
Finland

Team:
Teresa Dillon
Curator The Garden and The Hedge and Artist Lead of Elemental Threads Programme.

Tuomo Tammenpää and Sari Kippillä
Executive producers, Kulturhus Björkboda

Participants:
@mrandybest
@laitinen_antti
@constanzadessain
@kalelhamam
dzamil_ka
@kasiamolga
@robinrimbaud
@paulgranjon
@knowlewestmc
@teemu_lehmusruusu
@mediengruppe_bitnik
@zabriskiebuchladen
@kaukolampi
@anttitolvi
@weiweiweiwear
@dusjagr
@ilveskorpi
@jussipuustjarvi
@ronjatammenpaa
@marjutnordb
@agryfp
@heymayahey
@jondroriuk
@uni_southampton_wsa