Mud Machine in Björkboda Finland

 

I should be in Finland right now, finishing the installation of a messy Mud Machine and getting ready for weekend workshops at Kubu KulturHus. Due to family circumstances, I could not travel.

 

Instead I prepared a box of kit and instructions so that the work could be installed by the crew. I was so lucky that curator Teresa Dillon successfully took the box through customs at Heathrow and that fellow creative technologist Marc Dusselier @dusjagr was on hand to put the bits together and ensure the splutterings of mud were of good standard! Thanks Mark and Teresa for your invaluable help :>))

 

The Mud Machine is part of a group exhibition and project called The Garden and the Hedge, (info about the programme below). Opening is today 5th June, pop in if you are in the Kimitoon area

 

 

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The Garden and The Hedge
International summer exhibition and program

 

The Garden and The Hedge is Kulturhus Björkboda’s (KUBU) inaugural international summer exhibition and programme, developed in partnership with the artist and researcher Teresa Dillon. Focusing on the garden and the hedge as interfaces and borderlines that shape our understanding of nature and our relationship to it, Kubu’s setting—a former school building nestled in the rural heart of the Kimitoön municipality on an island in the Archipelago Sea, Southwest Finland—provides a unique and rich context for exploring these themes.

 

With 35 artistic works, performances, and workshops, the exhibition explores soil health, care, and community. It invites reflection on visible and invisible boundaries, resilience, and how we listen and respond to the land beneath us. With the exhibition, through installations, performances, workshops, and our learning programming, emphasising the importance of soil care, its environmental significance, and the ways in which it connects to our larger ecological, sociocultural and political landscapes and soil stewardship.

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The Mud Machine in Kubu is supported by an International Opportunities Fund from Wales Arts International @waicymruwales and the Arts Council of Wales.

 

Singing Compost workshop

Just back from London where we hosted the Singing Compost workshop at the Centre for Art and Ecology, Goldsmiths University. The workshop was an occasion for discussions on soil related art practices and hands-on experimentation in soil microbiology inspired by a citizen-science approach.

 

 

Day 1 started with presentations by myself with an update on the Singing Compost artworks, Anno Colin on Ecocentric functional artworks, Harun Morrison on translation aspects of the Singing Compost, Ros Gray on the social life of soil, Urte Januseviciute on her work with deep underground organisms and dreams, Melissa Thompson on microscopy techniques for soil health monitoring, Louie Destouches on DIY soil microbiology. The afternoon was dedicated to soil bacteria culture and observation in the Centre’s DIY bio lab.

 

 

On Day 2 Jack Hannam gave us an historical update on UK soil census and current related issues, followed by continuation of lab activities. In the afternoon we discussed intentions and directions following on the original Singing Compost artwork, with a focus on funding sources for further events and publications.

 

 

The workshop, funded by the Learned Society of Wales with support from Cardiff School of Art and Design, was attended by members of the Centre for Art and Ecology centre and students from Goldsmiths’ Art and Ecology MA and Curation MA.

 

Electric Strawberries

New Beggarswell Allotments barry Wales

 

After several years on the waiting list we finally got an allotment not far from our house in Barry Wales. Based on experiences of climate action conversations with strangers that started from me doing slightly unusual activities in local public spaces, I am planning to connect with my new allotment community with an unusual allotment feature: a sonic raised bed that gives a voice to microbial soil life. Most soils are inhabited by some electrogenic bacteria, microbes that produce electrons as part of their metabolic processes. These very small electrical currents can be harvested and/or measured. One of the most common electrogenic bacterium is the shewanella one-idensis.

 

Electric Strawberries raised bed

 

The Electric Strawberries installation measures the electrical voltage produced by the microbes [see tech note below] and generates an audio signal that varies according the measurement. The sonic raised bed is installed close to an access lane where I hope it will be a hook for engaging other allotment users or visitors in conversations about allotment growing know-how, microbial soil life, climate adaptation and other topics of interest. The experiment values an equal relation to non-human beings and a committed low-tech approach. The aim is to share knowledge, ideas and opinions as well as to strengthen links with the allotment community.

 

Tech note:

We found out later that the copper and zinc electrodes we used generate a current due to their electro-chemical properties (the oxidation of zinc occurs at the anode, while the reduction of copper ions happens at the cathode). It is possible that electrogenic bacterial populations close to the electrodes contribute to the electrical output, but most electricity harvested is from the copper-zinc oxydo-reduction reaction, with moist soil acting as the electrolyte. This system is referred to as an Earth Battery.

 

Tech

 

The Electric Strawberries installation is solar-powered and completely made of found, re-used and recycled parts. It is the latest instance of an ongoing investigation in electrogenic soil bacteria for art and citizen science that started from a collaboration with bio-engineer Michka Melo in 2017. Since then I have made several installations using the technology including the microbe-powered Mudbots (2018), the Singing Compost installation in collaboration with London-based artist Harun Morrison (2022-ongoing), the Garden Lab project with Knowle West Media Centre in Bristol and the Crymlyn Bog microbial voltage datalogging devices for the Better Bonymaen community art project in Swansea.

 

The Electric Strawberries were created during the Climate Adaptation for Creatives course run by Black Mountains College and the British Council in winter 2024-25

 

Allotment meets lab meets creative tech meets growing veg meets outsider art meets people meets microbiology meets citizen science

 

Allotment 2025

Currently working on the allotment in Barry, Wales.

Preparing the vegetable plots, and planning a growing sculpture with microbe electricity at the front as a conversation piece. The sculpture is homework for a Climate Adaption for Creatives online course from Black Mountains College and the British Council.

 

Research seminar in the woods

A recent experiment, research seminar in the woods. Instead of sitting in the institution, facing more screens at the end of a working day, we stood by a little fire that kept us warm while we talked about Eco-Anxiety and Little Joys, surrounded by trees.

 

We listened to a great speech by Douglas Hine about art and ecology and what is at the other end of despair.

We wrote our own anxiety on little pieces of paper that burnt away, sending meaningful particles of carbon dioxyde in the atmosphere.

The final roasting of marshmallows at dusk was cancelled due to roasting sticks being cut of privet, mildly poisonous to humans. We had a nice time nevertheless. Thank you to those who attended :>))

This seminar was delivered on 28-11-2024 as part of the research seminar series at Cardiff School of Art and Design

Singing Compost in British Soil Conference

I made a miniature version of the Singing Compost for an unusual occasion: the British Soil Science Society’s annual conference. Held in the cricket stadium buildings, the conference brought to Cardiff an international crew of soil scientists and stakeholders. Together with Anna Colin from the Centre for Art and Ecology Goldsmiths, we explained the project to interested attendees, and went to a few talks. Artists Daro Montag, Jo Pearl and Phil Lambert also showed work in the conference’s culture room.

 

 

I attended an interesting talk from Bob Klein Lankhorst of Royal Ejkelkamp, a Dutch Company specialising in soil monitoring and analysis. They are developing a tool for fast identification and counting of soil mineral and animal content, pushing a liquid soil mix through a millimeter wide window. A microscope with a video output feeds into an AI system that lists the various items passing through the window. This didn’t provide microbial scale information, but the visuals and data were nevertheless very engaging.

 

Many thanks to prof Jack Hannam for the invitation!

 

Tech note:

We found out later that the copper and zinc electrodes we used generate a current due to their electro-chemical properties (the oxidation of zinc occurs at the anode, while the reduction of copper ions happens at the cathode). It is possible that electrogenic bacterial populations close to the electrodes contribute to the electrical output, but most electricity harvested is from the copper-zinc oxydo-reduction reaction, with moist soil acting as the electrolyte. This system is referred to as an Earth Battery.

 

Art Research Garden talk

Paul Granjon and fellow artist Harun Morrison installed the first Singing Compost artwork in Goldsmiths University’s Art Research Garden in 2023. On Friday 27th September they will be in conversation as part of Goldsmiths’ Centre for Art and Ecology’s public launch. The event takes place from 2-5.30pm at the Art Research Garden, 41-43 Lewisham Way, London SE14 6QD (entrance via the garden gate on Parkfield Road). Full programme below.

 

Join us for an inspiring afternoon of talks and demonstrations with members of the Centre and guests! EventsBrite registration is now full, but contact Paul (paul [at] zprod [dot] org) if you’d like to attend.

 

The Singing Compost is an outdoor installation where the electrical activity of bacteria in the soil is measured and made tangible through sound. The second Singing Compost heap is installed in Cardiff School of Art and Design as part of the Sustainable Growing Futures garden.

 

Programme:

2.00-2.15pm – Welcome botanical drink

2.15-2.30pm – Anna Colin and Ros Gray, Opening Remarks

2.30-3.00pm – Harun Morrison and Paul Granjon, The Singing Compost

3.00-3.30pm – Lenka Vráblíková: Feminist Un/learning with Fungi

3.30-3.45 – Refreshments, with soil ice cream with rosehip syrup by Michael Guggenheim

3.45-4.30pm – John Little and Benny Hawksbee, Brownfield Sites for Ecological Complexity

4.30-5.00pm – Claire Baily, A Journey Through Material

5.00-5.30pm – Nirmal Puwar in conversation with Ros Gray, Planting Space Invaders

 

Singing Compost Heap 2, Cardiff School of Art and Design
Singing Compost Heap 2, Cardiff School of Art and Design

 

 

Crymlyn Bog datalogging

I mentioned a while ago that I was working with Artstation in the Crymlyn Bog, Swansea. We are logging electrical activity from bacteria in the soil from a couple of sites and beaming it up to the web using Lorawan networking kit.

 

Experiments going well, data visualisation web chart and bespoke data-logging circuit boards almost ready. I will post recipes as soon as all is working as it should.

 

Lora Receiver circuit

Data-logging receiver circuit in progress

 

Crymlyn Bog microbial voltage datalogging web page

Real time web visualisation of microbial voltage data

 

The electronics R+D for this project were partly funded by Cardiff School of Art and Design, Cardiff Metropolitan University

Crymlyn Bog – Natural Law

Today second visit to the Natural Law project in Bonymaen, Swansea UK. Artists collective Artstation have added a Arthub to a former batist Chapel. The chapel also hosts a food bank for this deprived area of Wales.

 

Artstation is running a range of activities – gardening, radio play, green dream house, community conversations about regeneration and climate action, all aiming for a Better Bonymaen. They are doing a great job of bringing a mix of residents, stakeholders, specialists, artists to the table. Check recent some of the conversations, for example on Climate Change in Food Bank Neighborhoods.

 

Down the hill from the estate is the Crymlyn Bog, one of the largest wetlands areas in Wales. Part of the Natural Law project is to improve the relationship between the community and the bog, which is often used for dumping unwanted objects.

 

 

Artstation invited me to run a couple of experiments with microbial fuel cells on the bog. We are planning to measure the electrical output (voltage) from several cells and to sonify the data, thus giving voice to some of the unseen life in the bog. I have made a solar-powered data logging box (bog box) that collects a voltage sample every 10 minutes.

 

Today we cycled down to the bog in Natural Law’s electric cargo bike and plugged the bog box in a quiet area. We will download the file in a few weeks time, observe variations and experiment with data-driven audio. We are also planning to transmit the data through a live link from the bog to the chapel.

 

We also talked to local primary school teachers about possibilities for their pupils to engage with the project, including microbial fuel cell workshops.

Photos by Glenn Davidson

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