Abstract
Soil is a complex and interconnected entity, essential for life yet constantly threatened by intensive human practices. Inspired by the Environmental Humanities, this contribution illustrates the experience of two workshops that, by immersing participants in the exchange of soil matter, aim to shed light on the fragility of our planet’s balance and promote greater ecological awareness. Through mixing soil samples, radial chromatography, and augmented reality technologies, Becoming Compost emphasises the importance of soil as a site of biopoiesis, chemical element transformation, and interspecies exchange. It also encourages participants to reflect on the significance of one of life’s fundamental elements, fostering an active role in shaping relational practices of care that consider the diverse entities inhabiting the planet.
Keywords
soil care, interspecies care, more-than-human design, regenerative design
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/nordes.2025.45
Citation
Bianco, A.(2025) Becoming compost: Fostering soil care through design practices, in Brandt, E., Markussen, T., Berglund, E., Julier, G., Linde, P. (eds.), Nordes 2025: Relational Design, 6-8 August, Oslo, Norway. https://doi.org/10.21606/nordes.2025.45
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Conference Track
Exploratory Papers
Included in
Becoming compost: Fostering soil care through design practices
Soil is a complex and interconnected entity, essential for life yet constantly threatened by intensive human practices. Inspired by the Environmental Humanities, this contribution illustrates the experience of two workshops that, by immersing participants in the exchange of soil matter, aim to shed light on the fragility of our planet’s balance and promote greater ecological awareness. Through mixing soil samples, radial chromatography, and augmented reality technologies, Becoming Compost emphasises the importance of soil as a site of biopoiesis, chemical element transformation, and interspecies exchange. It also encourages participants to reflect on the significance of one of life’s fundamental elements, fostering an active role in shaping relational practices of care that consider the diverse entities inhabiting the planet.