In terms of human life, land is a non-renewable resource. It is created by physico-chemical and biological processes, by the interaction of soil organisms that both inhabit and create it. It is the habitat and home of microbial relationships, energy and matter transformation, and like the ocean, forest or society, soil is alive and life is dependent on conditions.
Intensive farming, shortcuts and technological interventions in soil processes lead to the omission of those we cannot see. The consequence of our approach is the self-preservation processes of soil organisms, which break down symbiotic relationships for lack of energy. The slow and hidden process of soil degradation will only become apparent through subsequent symptoms.
Erosion is one of the most serious problems of land degradation on a global scale because it limits the ability to produce food for future generations. It particularly affects fragile ecosystems that are unable to cope with such pressure.
Notice the breath of your body, the action of chemical substances, mechanical triggers, metabolic and circulatory disorders, skin disorders. Centimetres of soil profile are formed over thousands of years and are lost in a matter of days due to erosion. Landscapes moving through the air, washed away by water.
Erosion is the natural process of moving particles from one place to another, and it is essential for life on Earth. Without erosion and sedimentation, the fertile soils around the great rivers would never have been created. The top layer, the seat of roots, is the most fertile. Vegetation forms a protective cover and provides a source of energy, organic matter. The nourished soil feeds the vegetation.
The soil in Iceland is young and can be very fertile, but it is also very fragile. Degradation here began through human activity more than a thousand years ago and took at least another three generations to take effect. Our soils are very old and prone to erosion. Agricultural land occupies more than half of the land area in the Czech Republic, and the biggest problem is large fields with strong erosion by water and wind.
The first thing to do when reclaiming land is to stop the degradation processes. The landscape will be what society wants it to be.
The online exhibition blends the sensitivity of art and the rationality of research, and on both levels it can be seen as a balance sheet of a situation whose development cannot be predicted with precision. We do not get answers to the questions, "When exactly will the system reach a breaking point?" or "How long after that will the collapse force a change?".
A curated walk, compiled from the testimonies of Czech and Icelandic artists and scientists, takes us through a landscape of soil relations and contexts. It offers starting points for contemporary knowledge and seeks ways to rethink our own positions in a shared environment.
