It had been a while since I last visited an exhibition in town so I jumped at the suggestion to head to Somerset House last weekend for Soil: The world at our feet, a fantastic selection of immersive experiences and artworks exploring our natural environment.

I wouldn’t have said that any of the works are particularly groundbreaking, a few stand outs include a heartfelt (if a little out of context) documentary piece compiled from what might potentially be the earliest color recordings of Palestine, taken by Scottish missionaries, and a loop rendering a simulated mycelial network. I would thoroughly recommend visiting while it’s on, it was well executed and it’s always a pleasure to explore ecology and the natural world through a new lens.

One of the best things about immersing yourself in an exhibition is the inspirational afterglow, I came out itching to re-attempt a project I had planned ages ago but never undertook involving collecting soil samples to grind into pigments for illustration (one of the featured works did exactly this), and the unusual textures and materials inside the exhibition (see below) reminded me of a book on Plant Biomechanics gifted to me years ago, that I’d given up on attempting to parse after the more technical sections threw me off.

I think my favorite piece would have to be the ceramic ‘Pinch Pots’, made from soil samples collected from different locations (including one from a local woodland I visit sometimes). The label listed out each pot with the location of soil collection and I absolutely love that. Tying data like location or date-time to a piece of work helps break down the barrier between the final form and the viewers consumption of the work, which i think can often be fairly abstract. It’s something I definitely want to explore more in my own practice.

The final hall provided a call to action, sheets of paper with scribbled messages adorn the walls and displays in the center of the room show off do-it-yourself ‘recipes’ for healthy soil. Unfortunately this was immediately overshadowed by, after spending several hours being shown the harrowing effects of consumerism, you arrive in front of rows of trinkets, jewellery, and cosmetics for sale. As my partner put it with a wry smile ‘Exit through the gift shop’.