Soil Future(s) symposium

Photo: KarlisVolkovskis

Programme

MONDAY, November 2, 2015 / 14:00-18:00 SOIL FUTURE SYMPOSIUM

13:00 – coffee and registration

14:00 – Welcome words by Anna Trapenciere, iWeek organizer, Rasa Smite, associate professor in New Media Art Programme, and Atis Eglins-Eglitis / Liepaja City Cultural Department.

14:20-14:50 I Creativity and Innovation in Education Change
Albert van der Kooij / Pop Culture Academy (Groningen, NL). An anarchistic anthropological approach of collaboration. A contemplation and examples.

14.50 - 15:50 II Contemporary Media Art and Techno-Ecological Practices
Rasa Smite (LV). Renewable Futures and Techno-ecological Art Practices
Paula Vitola (LV). Virtuosi
Viktorija Siaulyte / Jutempus (LT/DE). Zooetics

16:00-17:30 III – Soil, Land and Cultural Heritage as Resource
Andrew Gryf Paterson / Serde (SCO/FI/LV). Cultural Heritage as Resource
Kaspars Lielgalvis / Totaldobzhe (Riga, LV). On ecological issues of agricultural industrialization.
Kaspars Goba / Rucka (Cesis, LT). On land, soil and contemporary culture.
Maija Demitere (Liepaja, LV). The Aliveness of Soil

17:30-18:00 – Closing session
Closing discussion with Ilva Skulte and Normunds Kozlovs / RSU (Riga, LV).
Concluding thoughts by Andrew Paterson and Rasa Smite.
Introduction to iWeek workshops by Anna Trapenciere, Janis Jankevics, and other workshop leaders.
 

TUESDAY, November 3 – FRIDAY, November 6 / 10.00 – 17.00 SYMPOSIUM SOIL PRESENT(S), PAST(S) AND FUTURE(S)

The symposium consist of a 1-day conference programme, followed by 4-day workshop co-designed by Andrew Gryf Paterson (SCO/FI/LV) together with Maija Demitere (LV) focuses on nearby Soil present(s) and Soil past(s), aswell as trans-local Soil future(s), with a mix of hands-on, fieldwork and brainstorming exercises.

Day 1 & 2: Soil Present(s)

How do you get to know about healthy soil though hands-on work? (You will collect soil and do visual and tactile soil analysis as proposed by Dr. Bruce Ball of Scottish Rural College, and you will be guided into making good compost with miniature/tiny portions to take home).

Day 3: Soil Past(s)

How does one learn about the history of the soil? (You will be taken to a farmer/food producer to learn about how they keep record or know about the past use of the soil).

Day 4: Soil Future(s)

Do we care about the future of soil, is it always going to be in good shape? (You will brainstorm on the international and trans-local strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats -SWOT- y/our soil future(s).

 

HOW TO APPLY: Please apply for workshop by sending an e-mail to the organisers Andrew Paterson agryfp [at] gmail.com or Maija Demitere maija.demitere [at] gmail.com.

LOCATION: Muitas maja, Veca ostmala 54 in Liepaja, Latvia

PARTNERS: Soil Future is organized by RIXC in collaboration with Art Research Lab (MPLab) of Liepaja University and Changing Weathers. Read more about iWeek.

Follow-ups from the Soil Present(s), Past(s) and Future(s) workshops

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Maija Demitere building an aquaponics growing system. Photo: Andrew Paterson

Maija Demitere leading an eco-dye and soil-painting workshop for kids. Photo: Valtern Pelns

Showcasing 'gourmet geophagy' (eating earth or soil-like substrates). Photo: Andrew Paterson