Life on earth depends on healthy soils. As part of hands-on materials education, young Eco-Social Design students at the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano explored soil as a do-it-yourself material for art, design and architecture. Through practical exercises and guest workshops we examined its properties, everyday uses, and future possiblities. Collaborating with the BITZ unibz fablab, a community workshop for hobbyists, researchers and students based in Bolzano, we developed experimental kits to (re)connect and engage people with soil.

Outcomes of the project are currently on display at the GRASSI Museum of Applied Arts in Leipzig (Germany) as part of the special exhibition FUTURES – Material and Design of Tomorrow (21.11.2024 – 24.08.2025).

Project collaborators and supporters:
MUSEION – Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art
BITZ unibz fablab
Davide Balda (Technosoil Workshop)
Ayumi Matsuzaka (Creative Composting Seminar)
VIVO – Sustainable Community Garden
Material Library at the Faculty of Design and Art
Environmental Management of Mountain Areas (EMMA)

Photo (c) Antonia Krebs