LOUISE PERMIIN

Design researcher, educator and consultancy

What if we could collaborate with earthworms in future forestry, agriculture, urban farming, or gardening?

Jordforbindelse (Soil connection) – traveling exhibition, Aarhus Libraries, 2024-2025

Everything in the world is connected to the soil, yet the health of living soil is increasingly under pressure. This makes it more important than ever to explore how we are intertwined with the earth beneath us. Jordforbindelse (or soil connection) is a response to that need – a collaboration between myself, artist Sarah Trahan, and soil biologists from Aarhus University’s Department of Ecoscience. It is an experimental project at the intersection of art, science, and agriculture. Through a blend of artistic, biological, and technological co-design processes, Jordforbindelse explores the potential of human–earthworm collaboration, aiming to illuminate the vital, but often invisible, processes happening just beneath our feet.

The opening of Jordforbindelse was held at DOKK1 during the 2024 World Soil Day Conference, where Danish researchers, farmers and other industry professionals connected to the soil meet once a year under a unique theme. This year’s theme was: ‘Caring for soils – measure, monitor, manage’. As a part of World Soil Day we provided a tour of the exhibition, a sensory soil workshop and an interactive lunch activity featuring live earthworms.

Jordforbindelse builds on the work of previous collaborative projects Jord/Luft and Vibrant Soils.

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  1. Exhibition view, project posters.
  2. Exhibition view, earthworm terrarium and specimen shelves.
  3. Exhibition view.
  4. Exhibition view, worm casting specimens.
  5. Exhibition view, project booklet and reading station.
  6. Exhibition view, soil sounds listening station.
  7. Exhibition view, identify your inner earthworm through a soil smelling station
  8. Presenting at the World Soil Day conference, 2024.
  9. Workshop materiale – Future-writing
  10. Workshop materiale – Future-drawing
  11. Workshop materiale – Future-building
Process video showing footage from our investigation of different soils under the microscope.

“I find it interesting that there is another “world” besides my own, which is very science-based, that is interested in soil and soil health, and it’s great to open my, and others’, eyes to new dimensions and perspectives on the subject.”

– Participant at the workshop Future-writing, 2024

“I work with soil every day, but it’s been a long time since I took the time to smell the soil – really smell it.”

– Participant at the workshop Future-drawing, 2024

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