03: Soil

Soil holds histories, stories and belowground storage systems – repositories of information and traces of past worlds, current developments and future scenarios.

Soil is a highly diverse and sensitive cosmos that is facing increasing pressure due to the climate crisis, as a result of more frequent and severe extreme events such as drought.

The exhibition 03: Soil - Between (De-)Composition and (Re-)Construction in the Climate Crisis emerges from the project 03: Soil, which is based on interdisciplinary and site-specific artistic research, rooted in a collective field exploration of a subalpine ecological research laboratory in the Stubai Valley (Tyrol, Austria).

At AIL, researchers and artists show their open, collaborative process, which unfolds in a multiperspective inquiry on soil and drought. This creates a dialogue at the intersection of data collection, scientific exploration and artistic translation, in which soil becomes a ground for research, creativity, evidence and metaphor.

Scientific instruments and equipment – such as foil tunnel, soil corer, gas analyser, sample bags, and rubber gloves – are referenced as material and symbolic embodiments for the experimental simulation and investigation of droughts’ effects on grasslands and their soils. As such, the exhibition is designed as a multilayered and multisensory discovery journey, bringing together haptic, acoustic and video installations and artworks. Visitors are invited not only to immerse themselves in this interdisciplinary environment, but also to participate in parts of the installation through dedicated recording assemblies, Soil Sessions, as well as interactive workshops.

With contributions by:

Franziska Allerberger (Geographer), Michael Bahn (Ecologist), Helena Detsch (Visual Artist), Cornelia Dirnberger (Visual Artist), Christian Prohammer (Musician, Audio Engineer), Nora Schöpfer (Visual Artist), Konstantina Maria Serjannis (Cultural Scientist), Johanna Unterpertinger (Musician)

Opening Program, 6 Oct

18:00 Welcome by Julienne Lorz
(Expanded Museum Studies, AIL Executive Board) and introduction by Soil team members

19:00
Soil remembers

Performance Lecture by Michael Bahn with live sound structures by Johanna Unterpertinger; an exploration into the nature of soil, drought and memory.

20:00
Soil Session with Christian Prohammer

Visitors are invited to participate in the multi-channel sound installation Soil Immersion by Christian Prohammer and Johanna Unterpertinger. Following three recording sessions during the runtime of the exhibition, visitors’ voice and sound fragments are integrated into the immersive layering of sound. No registration needed.

Link to extended exhibition program

03: Soil is the third project of a series, following 01: Fire and 02: Water. Whereas 01: Fire and 02: Water were initiated and conducted solely by the collective et art., 03: Soil is conceptualised and realised as a broader art-science collaboration.