On Tuesday, March 11, at 7 PM, the exhibition Museum of Edible Earth, part of the Compost as Superfood project by artist masharu, will open at the exhibition and performance space KONTEJNER (Odranska 1/1). The Museum of Edible Earth is a collection comprising over 400 different types of earth substances from 34 different countries.
The Museum aims to collect an extensive array of edible earths suitable for oral consumption from as many countries as possible. Through examining their historical and cultural uses, alongside interdisciplinary partnerships, workshops, and collaborations, it seeks to stimulate reflection on the earth. Geophagia is the scientific term for the practice of consuming earth and similar substances such as clay and chalk, and the consumption of earth is an ancient practice integral to many cultures worldwide. The audience is central to this work, and visitors are invited to taste the earth, share their experiences, and engage in dialogues about cultural differences and environmental relationships, while re-evaluating their knowledge of food and cultural traditions using creative thinking.
The project Compost as Superfood aims to explore and enrich the discussion about the implications of consuming human-made soil on personal and community health. The goal of the work is to provoke debate on the safety of consuming organic materials, the complexity of cultural understanding, spatial and environmental awareness, and personal desires related to it.
This project, based on bio-design and food design, explores the possibility of producing human-made soils whose primary purpose is consumption through research and creative principles.
The day after the exhibition opens, on Wednesday, March 12, from 6 PM to 8 PM, a workshop organized by the Museum of Edible Earth will take place at KONTEJNER. All interested participants are invited to taste the earth and share their experience, engage in dialogues about cultural differences and environmental relations, and critically examine their knowledge of food and cultural traditions using creative thinking.
*Organizer's note: The consumption of earth is not recommended by food experts, and you do so at your own risk.
masharu (they/them) are earth enthusiasts and founders of the Museum of Edible Earth. Their projects integrate scientific research with a personal approach and traditional cultural practices. In 2011, they earned a PhD in mathematics and graduated with honors from the Academy of Photography in Amsterdam. In 2013–2014, they participated in an artist residency program at Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunst in Amsterdam. In 2018, masharu were artist fellows at the Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study in the Humanities and Social Sciences (NIAS-KNAW). In 2024, they were artist residents of the European Media Art Platform (EMAP) at Ars Electronica. masharu have won several awards, including the Award of Distinction at Prix Ars Electronica (Austria) and the YouFab Global Creative Awards (Japan). The work of masharu is supported by the Mondriaan Fund. www.masharu.nl
The exhibition is realized within the framework of the European project Future DiverCities.