The Soils Project
‘The Soils Project’ is part of an eponymous, long-term research initiative involving TarraWarra Museum of Art (Wurundjeri Country, Australia), the Van Abbemuseum (Eindhoven, Netherlands) and Struggles for Sovereignty, a collective based in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. It works through specific and situated practices that consider soil, as both metaphor and matter.
Seeking and facilitating opportunities to listen to diverse voices and perspectives around notions of caring for land, soil and sovereign territories, the project has been in development since 2018. An international collaboration between three organisations, and several artists, curators, writers and activists, it has manifested in various iterations over several years. The group exhibition ‘Soils’ at the Van Abbemuseum is part of Museum of the Commons.
The soil is the basis of our lives. It is where our ancestors once lived and where future generations will build a life. It is the link between past, present and future. The source that feeds us. But the relationship between humans and the earth is also often tense. From land depletion and overproduction to land theft and (labour) exploitation. How can we re-ground ourselves in our environment? And how does that help us reconnect with each other? The group exhibition Soils addresses these questions. International artists, designers, farmers and activists are working to increase empathy for our lands.
Participating artists, activists and thinkers: Valiana Aguilar, BKP (Badan Kajian Pertanahan), Soph Boobyer, Peta Clancy, Megan Cope, Zena Cumpston, Erfgoed Brabant (Selim Haase, Luke Linssen, Jonathan Tjien Fooh, Cat de Win-Haase), Wapke Feenstra, Steffie de Gaetano and Giulia Pompilj, Lian Gogali and Institut Mosintuwu, D Harding, Diewke van den Heuvel, Jatiwangi art Factory, patricia kaersenhout, Moelyono, Myvillages, Hira Nabi, Tom Nicholson, Pluriversity Weavers (Dwanimako Arroyo Izquierdo, María Eufemia Arroyo Izquierdo, Dwasimney Del Carmen Izquierdo Torres, Seynawiku Izquierdo Torres, Ana Bravo Pérez, Aliki van der Kruijs, LI Yuchen, Aldo Ramos), Riar Rizaldi, Yurni Sadariah and the Sekolah Adat members and Rangan Adat communities, Dorieke Scheurs, Keg de Souza, Suumil Móokt'aan (Valiana Aguilar, Ángel Kú), The Resurrection Committee (Adelina Luft, Ovidiu Ţichindeleanu, Raluca Voinea), Rolando Vázquez, and Brooke Wandin.
Related activities
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HDK-Valand
Climate Forum I
The Climate Forum is a space of dialogue and exchange with respect to the concrete operational practices being implemented within the art field in response to climate change and ecological degradation. This is the first in a series of meetings hosted by HDK-Valand within L'Internationale's Museum of the Commons programme.
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–Van Abbemuseum
The Soils Project
‘The Soils Project’ is part of an eponymous, long-term research initiative involving TarraWarra Museum of Art (Wurundjeri Country, Australia), the Van Abbemuseum (Eindhoven, Netherlands) and Struggles for Sovereignty, a collective based in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. It works through specific and situated practices that consider soil, as both metaphor and matter.
Seeking and facilitating opportunities to listen to diverse voices and perspectives around notions of caring for land, soil and sovereign territories, the project has been in development since 2018. An international collaboration between three organisations, and several artists, curators, writers and activists, it has manifested in various iterations over several years. The group exhibition ‘Soils’ at the Van Abbemuseum is part of Museum of the Commons. -
–VCRC
Kyiv Biennial 2023
L’Internationale Confederation is a proud partner of this year’s edition of Kyiv Biennial.
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–MACBA
Where are the Oases?
PEI OBERT seminar
with Kader Attia, Elvira Dyangani Ose, Max Jorge Hinderer Cruz, Emily Jacir, Achille Mbembe, Sarah Nuttall and Françoise VergèsAn oasis is the potential for life in an adverse environment.
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MACBA
Anti-imperialism in the 20th century and anti-imperialism today: similarities and differences
PEI OBERT seminar
Lecture by Ramón GrosfoguelIn 1956, countries that were fighting colonialism by freeing themselves from both capitalism and communism dreamed of a third path, one that did not align with or bend to the politics dictated by Washington or Moscow. They held their first conference in Bandung, Indonesia.
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Institute of Radical ImaginationMuseo Reina Sofia
Cinema as Assembly
Cinema as Assembly investigates cinema as a space of social gathering and political engagement that prefigures and enacts forms of living beyond colonial capitalism.
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21 Jun 2023 –6 Jul Van AbbemuseumMaria Lugones Decolonial Summer School
Recalling Earth: Decoloniality and Demodernity
Course Directors: Prof. Walter Mignolo & Dr. Rolando VázquezRecalling Earth and learning worlds and worlds-making will be the topic of chapter 14th of the María Lugones Summer School that will take place at the Van Abbemuseum in Eindhoven.
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1 Nov 2023 –31 May 2024 tranzit.roNon-Western Technologies for the Good Life
The experimental course ‘Non-Western Technologies for the Good Life’ (November 2023–May 2024) celebrates as its starting point the anniversary of 50 years since the publication of Tools for Conviviality, considering that Ivan Illich’s call is as relevant as ever.
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23 Apr 2023 –30 Sep 2024 MSNArchive of the Conceptual Art of Odesa in the 1980s
The research project turns to the beginning of 1980s, when conceptual art circle emerged in Odesa, Ukraine. Artists worked independently and in collaborations creating the first examples of performances, paradoxical objects and drawings.
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24 Aug 2024 –30 Aug Moderna galerijaZRC SAZUSummer School: Our Many Easts
Our Many Easts summer school is organised by Moderna galerija in Ljubljana in partnership with ZRC SAZU (the Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts) as part of the L’Internationale project Museum of the Commons.
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15 Feb 2024 –15 Mar Moderna galerijaZRC SAZUOpen Call – Summer School: Our Many Easts
Our Many Easts summer school takes place in Ljubljana 24–30 August and the application deadline is 15 March. Courses will be held in English and cover topics such as the legacy of the Eastern European avant-gardes, archives as tools of emancipation, the new “non-aligned” networks, art in times of conflict and war, ecology and the environment.
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10 Feb 2024 –1 Apr MACBASong for Many Movements: Scenes of Collective Creation
An ephemeral experiment in which the ground floor of MACBA becomes a stage for encounters, conversations and shared listening.
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4 Feb 2024 –10 Mar MSU ZagrebVan AbbemuseumModerna galerijaZRC SAZUOpen Call – School of Common Knowledge
MSU (Zagreb), Van Abbemuseum (Eindhoven), MG+MSUM (Ljubljana), ZRC SAZU (Ljubljana) and L'Internationale invite applications for the new School of Common Knowledge (SCK) to be held in Zagreb and Ljubljana 24–29 May 2024. The School of Common Knowledge draws on the network, knowledge and experience of the L’Internationale museum confederation. Its ambition is to be both nomadic and situated, looking at specific cultural and geopolitical situations while exploring their relations and interdependencies with the rest of the world. The SCK is built on the basis laid by the Glossary of Common Knowledge project initiated by Zdenka Badovinac and Moderna galerija (Ljubljana) and continues its co-learning methodology.
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17 Apr 2024 –20 Apr Institute of Radical ImaginationGathering into the Maelstrom
‘Gathering into the Maelstrom’ in Venice at Sale Docks is a four-day programme curated by Institute of Radical Imagination (IRI) and Sale Docks.
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24 May 2024 –30 May MSU ZagrebVan AbbemuseumModerna galerijaZRC SAZUSchool of Common Knowledge
School of Common Knowledge draws on the network, knowledge and experience of the L’Internationale museum confederation. Built on the basis laid by the Glossary of Common Knowledge, a project initiated by Zdenka Badovinac and Moderna Galerija in Ljubljana, it continues its co-learning methodology. Its ambition is to be both nomadic and situated, looking at specific cultural and geopolitical situations while exploring their relations and interdependencies with the rest of the world.
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16 May 2024 –21 Jul Institute of Radical ImaginationGathering into the Maelstrom (exhibition)
‘Gathering into the Maelstrom’ is curated by Institute of Radical Imagination and Sale Docks within the framework of Museum of the Commons.
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5 Jun 2024 –6 Apr 2025 SALTWarm Earth Sounds for Plants and the People Who Love Them
‘Warm Earth Sounds for Plants and the People Who Love Them’ is a series of sound installations by Özcan Ertek, Fulya Uçanok, Ömer Sarıgedik, Zeynep Ayşe Hatipoğlu, and Passepartout Duo, presented at Salt in Istanbul.
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5 Jun 2024 –28 Jul 2025 SALTSound of Green
‘Warm Earth Sounds for Plants and the People Who Love Them’ at Salt in Istanbul begins on 5 June, World Environment Day, with Özcan Ertek’s installation ‘Sound of Green’.
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5 Jun 2024 Museo Reina SofiaPalestine Is Everywhere
‘Palestine Is Everywhere’ is an encounter and screening at Museo Reina Sofía organised together with Cinema as Assembly as part of Museum of the Commons. The conference starts at 18:30 pm (CET) and will also be streamed on the online platform linked below.
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4 Sep 2024 –30 Sep Museo Reina SofiaOpen Call: Research Residencies
The Centro de Estudios of Museo Reina Sofía releases its open call for research residencies as part of the climate thread within the Museum of the Commons programme.
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27 Sep 2024 HDK-ValandClimate Forum II
The Climate Forum is a series of online meetings hosted by HDK-Valand within L’Internationale’s Museum of the Commons programme. The series builds upon earlier research resulting in the (2022) book Climate: Our Right to Breathe and reaches toward emerging change practices.
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18 Oct 2024 HDK-ValandClimate Forum III
The Climate Forum is a series of online meetings hosted by HDK-Valand within L’Internationale’s Museum of the Commons programme. The series builds upon earlier research resulting in the (2022) book Climate: Our Right to Breathe and reaches toward emerging change practices.
Related contributions and publications
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Decolonial aesthesis: weaving each other
Charles Esche, Rolando Vázquez, Teresa Cos Rebollo9 Nov 2023 The Soils ProjectClimateVan Abbemuseum -
Climate Forum I – Readings
Nkule Mabaso13 Nov 2023 The Climate ForumClimateHDK-ValandEN es -
…and the Earth along. Tales about the making, remaking and unmaking of the world.
Martin Pogačar14 Nov 2023 ... and the Earth alongClimatePast in the Present -
Art for Radical Ecologies Manifesto
Institute of Radical Imagination15 Nov 2023 Art for Radical Ecologies ManifestoClimateInstitute of Radical Imagination -
Pollution as a Weapon of War
Svitlana Matviyenko8 Jun 2023 Climate -
The Kitchen, an Introduction to Subversive Film with Nick Aikens, Reem Shilleh and Mohanad Yaqubi
Nick Aikens, Subversive Film13 Jul 2023 lumbungPast in the PresentVan Abbemuseum -
The Repressive Tendency within the European Public Sphere
Ovidiu Ţichindeleanu6 Dec 2023 Towards Collective Study in Times of EmergencyPast in the Present -
Climate: Our Right to Breathe
2022 ClimateThe Climate Forum -
A Letter Inside a Letter: How Labor Appears and Disappears
Marwa Arsanios24 Oct 2023 The Climate ForumClimate -
Rewinding Internationalism
2023 Van Abbemuseum -
Troubles with the East(s)
Bojana Piškur22 Jan 2024 Towards Collective Study in Times of EmergencyPast in the Present -
Right now, today, we must say that Palestine is the centre of the world
Françoise Vergès21 Dec 2023 Towards Collective Study in Times of EmergencyPast in the Present -
Body Counts, Balancing Acts and the Performativity of Statements
Mick Wilson20 Dec 2023 Towards Collective Study in Times of EmergencyPast in the Present -
Until Liberation I: Learning Palestine
Learning Palestine Group8 Dec 2023 Towards Collective Study in Times of EmergencyPast in the Present -
Until Liberation II: Learning Palestine
Learning Palestine Group12 Jan 2024 Towards Collective Study in Times of EmergencyPast in the Present -
Seeds Shall Set Us Free II
Munem Wasif20 Oct 2023 The Climate ForumClimate -
Pollution as a Weapon of War – a conversation with Svitlana Matviyenko
Svitlana Matviyenko12 Oct 2022 ClimateClimate book launchHDK-Valand -
Françoise Vergès – Breathing: A Revolutionary Act
Françoise Vergès12 Oct 2022 ClimateClimate book launchHDK-Valand -
Ana Teixeira Pinto – Fire and Fuel: Energy and Chronopolitical Allegory
Ana Teixeira Pinto12 Oct 2022 ClimateClimate book launchHDK-Valand -
Watery Histories – a conversation between artists Katarina Pirak Sikku and Léuli Eshrāghi
Léuli Eshrāghi, Katarina Pirak Sikku12 Oct 2022 ClimateClimate book launchHDK-Valand -
A dialogical tour through the exhibition The Making of Modern Art
Steven ten Thije, Quinsy Gario27 Apr 2017 DialoguesVan Abbemuseum -
Art Museums and Democracy
Charles Esche, Manuel Borja-Villel, Bart de Baere12 Dec 2016 DialoguesM HKAVan AbbemuseumMuseo Reina Sofia -
The Veil of Peace
Ovidiu Ţichindeleanu31 Oct 2023 Past in the Presenttranzit.ro -
How to prepare for a hurricane, pt. 2
Quinsy Gario3 Oct 2019 Van Abbemuseum -
Uvodnik: Za kolektivno študijo v času izrednih razmer
L’Internationale Online Editorial Board29 Nov 2023 Towards Collective Study in Times of EmergencyStatements and editorialsPast in the PresentEN es sl tr ar -
The City in the Museum. A retrospective on two years Werksalon in the Van Abbemuseum
2020 Van Abbemuseum -
The 1980s. Today's Beginnings? An alternative view on the 80s
2016 Van Abbemuseum -
Song for Many Movements. Opening Performance Live on Radio Alhara
Jokkoo with/con Miramizu, Rasheed Jalloul & Sabine Salamé23 Feb 2024 Towards Collective Study in Times of EmergencySonic CommonsPast in the PresentMACBAEN es -
We Have Been Here Forever. Palestinian Poets Write Back
Rana Issa4 Mar 2024 Towards Collective Study in Times of EmergencyPast in the Present -
Indra's Web
Vandana Singh1 Mar 2024 ... and the Earth alongPast in the PresentClimateZRC SAZU -
Diary of a Crossing
Baqiya and Yu’ad27 Mar 2024 Towards Collective Study in Times of EmergencyPast in the Present -
The Silence Has Been Unfolding For Too Long
The Free Palestine Initiative Croatia11 Apr 2024 Towards Collective Study in Times of EmergencyPast in the PresentSituated OrganizationsInstitute of Radical ImaginationMSU Zagreb -
One Day, Freedom Will Be
Françoise Vergès19 Apr 2024 Art for Radical Ecologies ManifestoTowards Collective Study in Times of EmergencyInstitute of Radical ImaginationClimate -
Everything will stay the same if we don’t speak up
L’Internationale Confederation17 Apr 2024 Towards Collective Study in Times of EmergencyStatements and editorialsPast in the PresentSituated OrganizationsEN ca -
Art and Materialisms: At the intersection of New Materialisms and Operaismo
Emanuele Braga1 May 2024 Art for Radical Ecologies ManifestoInstitute of Radical ImaginationClimate -
War, Peace and Image Politics: Part 1, Who Has a Right to These Images?
Jelena Vesić14 May 2024 Past in the PresentZRC SAZU -
To Build an Ecological Art Institution: The Experimental Station for Research on Art and Life
Ovidiu Ţichindeleanu, Raluca Voinea31 May 2024 Art for Radical Ecologies ManifestoClimateSituated Organizationstranzit.ro -
Art, Radical Ecologies and Class Composition: On the possible alliance between historical and new materialisms
Marco Baravalle12 Jun 2024 Art for Radical Ecologies ManifestoInstitute of Radical ImaginationClimate -
Live set: A Love Letter to the Global Intifada
Precolumbian13 Jun 2024 Towards Collective Study in Times of EmergencySonic CommonsPast in the PresentMACBAEN es -
‘Territorios en resistencia’, Artistic Perspectives from Latin America
Rosa Jijón & Francesco Martone (A4C), Sofía Acosta Varea, Boloh Miranda Izquierdo, Anamaría Garzón26 Jun 2024 Art for Radical Ecologies ManifestoClimateInstitute of Radical Imagination -
Unhinging the Dual Machine: The Politics of Radical Kinship for a Different Art Ecology
Federica Timeto1 Jul 2024 Art for Radical Ecologies ManifestoInstitute of Radical ImaginationClimate -
Cultivating Abundance
Åsa Sonjasdotter28 Jun 2024 The Climate ForumClimatePast in the PresentHDK-Valand -
Reading list - Summer School: Our Many Easts
Summer School - Our Many Easts6 Sep 2024 Past in the PresentModerna galerija -
Editors’ Picks: Yolande Zola Zoli van der Heide
Yolande Zola Zoli van der Heide29 Aug 2024 Editors' PicksVan Abbemuseum -
The Genocide War on Gaza: Palestinian Culture and the Existential Struggle
Rana Anani10 Sep 2024 Towards Collective Study in Times of EmergencyPast in the Present -
Climate Forum II – Readings
Nkule Mabaso, Nick Aikens25 Sep 2024 The Climate ForumClimateHDK-Valand -
Eating clay is not an eating disorder
Zayaan Khan17 Sep 2024 The Climate ForumRecette. Reset. Recipes in and Beyond the InstitutionClimatePast in the Present -
Dispatch: ‘I don't believe in revolution, but sometimes I get in the spirit.’
Megan Hoetger20 Sep 2024 Past in the Present -
Dispatch: Notes on (de)growth from the fragments of Yugoslavia's former alliances
Ava Zevop24 Sep 2024 Past in the Present -
Forget ‘never again’, it’s always already war
Martin Pogačar3 Oct 2024 Towards Collective Study in Times of EmergencyPast in the PresentZRC SAZU -
Graduation
Koleka Putuma10 Oct 2024 The Climate ForumClimate -
Depression
Gargi Bhattacharyya10 Oct 2024 The Climate ForumClimate -
Climate Forum III – Readings
Yolande Zola Zoli van der Heide11 Oct 2024 The Climate ForumClimate -
Soils
2024 ClimateVan Abbemuseum -
Dispatch: There is grief, but there is also life
Cathryn Klasto1 Nov 2024 The Climate ForumClimate -
Beyond Distorted Realities: Palestine, Magical Realism and Climate Fiction
Sanabel Abdel Rahman14 Nov 2024 Towards Collective Study in Times of EmergencyPast in the PresentClimate -
Dispatch: Care Work is Grief Work
Abril Cisneros Ramírez18 Nov 2024 The Climate ForumClimate -
Collective Study in Times of Emergency. A Roundtable
Nick Aikens, Sara Buraya Boned, Charles Esche, Martin Pogačar, Ovidiu Ţichindeleanu, Ezgi Yurteri15 Nov 2024 Towards Collective Study in Times of EmergencyPast in the PresentSituated Organizations -
Collective Study in Times of Emergency
2024 Towards Collective Study in Times of EmergencyPast in the PresentSonic Commons