Traces from the Anthropocene: Working with Soil
(2020)
author(s): Riikka Latva-Somppi, Maarit Mäkelä, Ozgu Gundeslioglu
published in: RUUKKU - Studies in Artistic Research
Awareness of environmental issues, such as climate change and microplastics, has raised general concern about the state of the environment. Only recently has the discussion tackled the consequences of the human imprint in the contamination of the soil appropriately. In this artistic research, we use soil as the material mediator to explore and communicate the intertwined relationship between humans and the environment. This study combines environmental research with ceramic practice. We discuss how ceramic practitioners can use their knowledge and skill to meaningfully engage in the environmental discourse. The study was inspired by the call for Research Pavilion #3, which was organised by the University of the Arts, Helsinki, to be a place for ongoing artistic research during May-August 2019 in the context of the Venice Biennale. Working with Soil was presented as an ongoing research project taking place before and during the high season of Research Pavilion #3 in one of the six research cells: Traces from the Anthropocene.
Traces from the Anthropocene: Working with soil at the Research Pavilion #3
(2025)
author(s): Riikka Latva-Somppi
published in: Aalto University
Traces from the Anthropocene: Working with Soil
Research Pavilion #3, Venice, Italy 2019
The video documents the artistic research project Traces from the Anthropocene: Working with Soil, that explores the relationship between humans and soil through a study of soil contamination in the Venice Lagoon area. In this research, ceramic artists collaborate with soil contamination experts focusing on the current state of the local soils and sediments, linking them with the anthropogenic impact in the area. The group of artists, researchers and MA students studied the soils and sediments of the Venice Lagoon using ceramic art and methods of soil contamination research. The video follows the artists on their sediment sampling fieldwork and documents the research environment, also recording the artists’ work at the Research Pavilion where they coiled large clay pots from local brick clay, and painted them with the contaminated soil.
Working with Soil group: Maarit Mäkelä (PI), Riikka Latva-Somppi, Özgu Gündeşlioğlu and Catharina Kajander and students Tzuyu Chen, Pauliina Purhonen and Hanna Kutvonen.
The project was led by Empirica research group of Aalto University’s Design Department and done in collaboration with the Finnish Environment Institute SYKE.
The local brick factory Terreal SanMarco provided local brick clay for the artworks.
