Anthropogenic Soils

About the project

How do we know, experience, and imagine soils in the Anthropocene? How can practices of soil care help us better understand and value the life beneath our feet? How do people across the planet recover unsustainable human-soil relationships?

The multidisciplinary project Anthropogenic Soils conceptualizes soils not as natural resources to be exploited, but as "anthropogenic", as lively and dynamic natural-cultural composition responsive to human recovery and healing.

We study how people have invented, practiced, and imagined ways of recuperating contaminated, toxic, and depleted soils in different parts of the globe – from India and Kazakhstan to sub-Arctic Norway. At the same time, our project asks how artistic and trans-media practices of scholars, artists and writers offer alternative modes of relating to soils, and for building possible futures of earthly survival.

Nord University’s contribution to the project is through Nora S. Vaage’s role leading WP5: Experiential Soils. This part of the project seeks to explore the kinds of lively encounters and caring interactions that can take place among artists, soils and audiences. Vaage studies the material aesthetics of soil as expressed in soil artworks and the idea of soil as medium. She co-ordinates artists in residence in the project, and will curate the project’s exhibition at NOBA – Norwegian Bioart Arena in 2027 and the SOILS festival in 2028.

Read more about the project (uio.no).

Susanne Bauer, University of Oslo PI WP3
Bodhisattva Chattopadhyay, University of Oslo PI WP4
Jomy Joseph, University of Oslo
Marianne Elisabeth Lien, University of Oslo
Ursula Münster, University of Oslo PI WP1
Daniel Münster, University of Oslo PI WP2
Kamran Shalchian-Tabrizi, University of Oslo
Charlotte Ulvang Larsen, University of Oslo
Davina Kaur Patel, University of Oslo
Dr. Suma T R, Hume Centre for Ecology and Wildlife Biology
Tokhir Pallaev, University of Oslo
Nora S. Vaage, Nord University PI WP5

Artists in residence:

Visiting fellows:

Advisory board:

Universitetet i Oslo, ved IKOS, Institutt for kultur, religion, Asia- og Midtøstenstudier og Oslo Miljøhumaniora, Det humanistiske fakultet
Andre UiO-deltagere: TIK Senter for teknologi, innovasjon og kultur, Det samfunnsvitenskapelige fakultet, Institutt for helse og samfunn, Det medisinske fakultet, Institutt for biovitenskap, Det matematisk-naturvitenskapelige fakultet, Sosialantropologisk institutt, Det samfunnsvitenskapelige fakultet
NOBA – Norsk Biokunstarena, Vitenparken Campus Ås

The Anthropogenic Soils project is funded by the Norwegian Research Council, Large scale Interdisciplinary Researcher Project as a Joint lift project co-funded by the University of Oslo. Project number 325635.

The total budget is 25 000 000 NOK, of which 12 500 000 NOK was awarded from the Norwegian Research Council, matched primarily by University of Oslo. Nord University’s part: 1 547 064 NOK, of which 822 927 from the NRC, matched by Nord University.