Sharing what moves and inspires us.

After the success of the Sustainability and Creativity workshop at the Garden Museum, we had the pleasure of visiting SOIL: The World at Our Feet at Somerset House—a remarkable exhibition that explores the hidden wonders of soil and its essential role in sustaining life on Earth. As Somerset House celebrates its 25th anniversary as one of London’s most iconic cultural spaces, this exhibition feels like a fitting tribute to the interconnectedness of art, science, and the natural world.

Curated by The Land Gardeners, May Rosenthal Sloan, and Claire Catterall, SOIL brings together an extraordinary mix of artists, writers, and scientists, blending sensory artworks, historical artefacts, and documentary evidence. The result is an immersive and thought-provoking experience that lingers long after you’ve left the gallery.

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This exhibition is more than just an artistic exploration—it’s a call to action. Through engaging storytelling and compelling visuals, SOIL encourages visitors to rethink their relationship with the earth beneath their feet. As the curators explain:

“We need to start thinking of soil as something more than just dirt. It is part of a vast range of processes without which human life would not be possible. SOIL offers visitors a chance to discover the potential of this extraordinary material—not only to transform our planet but to inspire a radical, collective way of being.”

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Divided into three thematic sections—Life Below Ground, Life Above Ground, and Hope—the exhibition takes visitors on an inspiring journey through the unseen world of soil.

• Life Below Ground: Experience the intricate ecosystems beneath our feet through works like Poetics of Soil by Marshmallow Laser Feast, a multimedia installation that unveils the hidden life underground.
• Life Above Ground: Discover soil’s deep cultural significance through Vivien Sansour’s work, which tells stories of soil’s role in human traditions, from Caribbean topsoil sales to Palestinian soil rehabilitation and North American seed-saving initiatives.
• Hope: Engage with forward-looking artworks that reflect on soil’s role in a sustainable future, including With Horses by Maeve Brennan, a film exploring plastic waste and industrial temporality.

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Phoam Labs co-founder and CEO, Dundee Butcher, shared her thoughts on the exhibition:

“There was so much to admire and reflect on in this exhibition. Soil is the skin of the earth—without it, there would be no life, we owe everything to what lies beneath our feet. It was fascinating to focus attention on something we so often take for granted. Phoam began as a mission to reduce plastic waste, but over time, that mission has evolved to embrace an ‘earth-to-earth’ approach. Not only do we ensure a clear end-of-life strategy for Phoam, but also diverting more green waste from landfills into composting sites, by collaborating with organisations like Com:post.”

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SOIL: The World at Our Feet

23 January – 13 April 2025  Embankment Galleries, Somerset House

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