The Edible Earth Museum opens in the KONTEJNER space
On Tuesday, March 11th at At 7 pm, the exhibition Museum of Edible Soil, part of the Compost as Superfood project, opens in the KONTEJNER performance and exhibition space (Odranska 1/1). artist masharu . The Edible Soil Museum is a collection consisting of over 400 different types of earthen substances from 34 different countries.
The Museum aims to collect a comprehensive collection of edible soils suitable for oral consumption from as many countries as possible, and to stimulate thinking about the earth through consideration of their historical and cultural uses, through interdisciplinary partnerships, workshops and collaborations. Geophagy is the scientific name for the practice of consuming soil and similar substances such as clay and chalk, and the consumption of soil is an ancient practice that is an integral part of many cultures around the world. The audience is at the center of this work and visitors are invited to taste the soil, share their experiences and participate in dialogues about cultural differences and relationships with the environment, while re-examining their knowledge of food and cultural traditions using creative thinking.
The Compost as Superfood project seeks to explore and enrich the debate on the implications of consuming (eating) man-made soil on personal and community health. The aim of the work is to stimulate debate on the safety of consuming organic materials, the complexities of cultural understanding, spatial and environmental awareness, and personal desires related to it.
This project, based on bio-design and food design, explores, through research and creative principles, the possibility of producing man-made soils whose primary purpose is consumption.
The day after the exhibition opening, on Wednesday, March 12th from 6 to 8 p.m. , a workshop organized by the Edible Soil Museum will be held at KONTEJNER, and all interested parties are invited to taste the soil and share their experiences, participate in dialogues about cultural differences and relationships with the environment, and question their knowledge about food and cultural traditions using creative thinking.
*Organizer's note: Eating soil is not recommended by food experts and you do it at your own risk.
masharu (they/them) are earth lovers and founders of the Edible Earth Museum. Their projects combine scientific research with a personal approach and traditional cultural practices. In 2011, they obtained a doctorate in mathematics and graduated with honors from the Academy of Photography in Amsterdam. In 2013-2014, they participated in the artistic residency program at the Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunst in Amsterdam. In 2018, masharu were artistic fellows at the Netherlands Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities and Social Sciences (NIAS-KNAW). In 2024, they were artistic residents of the European Media Art Platform (EMAP) at Ars Electronica. mashara have won several awards, including the Award of Distinction at the Prix Ars Electronica (Austria) and the YouFab Global Creative Awards (Japan). The work of mashara is supported by the Mondriaan Foundation. www.masharu.n l
The exhibition was realized within the framework of the European project Future DiverCities.