Metabolic Transformations > Geopolitics of Soil

Geopolitics of Soil (Time-lapse)
Map, detritivores (earthworms, springtails, isopods, etc.), soil, plastic bins, LED lights, and compost
2022

Geopolitics of Soil is a durational work which addresses the subject of borders and nations from the perspective of the living earth. A world map replete with discrete colors marking distinct nations and their geopolitical nomenclature is set within a culture of bioactive soil. Over the duration of the work, detritivores, such as earthworms, isopods, and springtails, as well as fungi feed on the map dissolving a diagram defined by borders, names, and separated polygonal structures into a body of homogenous living earth. As the map slowly disintegrates, seeds from composted material germinate and burst through the surface while various plants propagate and reanimate due to the rich soil created by the decay. This project began streaming as a live feed for an online exhibition, Re-Connections: In Kinship with Nature, hosted at the United Nations for Earth Day 2022 and shown with an actively composting ecosystem at the United Nations Headquarters in Nov 2023 - Jan 2024.
Re-Connections: In Kinship with Nature