During this workshop, we not only aimed to breach the borders of the different academic fields researching the topic of soil (like geography, anthropology, history, arts, biology, design and many more) but also wished to recognise that doing a different kind of research requires different forms of conducting these conversations.
To do this we engaged in place-based learning, visited soil labs, engaged in artistic interventions, lectures, collaborative writing and research exercises and, perhaps most importantly, spent time with actual soils.
Reflection on the experience
Here is a small reflection on the experience written by one of our PhD participants.
The seminar was for me incredible in several ways:
1. The warm human quality of the participants and fundamentally the organizers:
In many cases, one hears and reads about “care” in academic and artistic circles, but recently, I have been disillusioned by many spaces where the word is spoken but not put into practice. Being part of the seminar was healing and hopeful. It showed me that there are academic spaces where “care” is not only a word to be included but a sincere practice. It made me want to continue to be a part of the academic environment.
The presentations thought objects were great and a very nice and playful way to get to know each other.
I also find remarkable the permeability and humility at the time of reflection. For example, during the talk, we had in the forest about the visit to the Sami Museum and the traces we left on the territory we visited afterwards.
2. The quality and interdisciplinarity of the lectures was very inspiring. Understanding the specific case of this territory gave me the possibility to rethink my own case of study. I work on the agricultural, industrial model in Argentina, and it was a great opportunity to create similarities and relationships between the history of my country and territory as far away as Norway.
3. I was happily surprised to learn that several PhD candidates were very knowledgeable about Latin American authors. The exchange with colleagues and reading their essays was very rich, and I hope it will continue.
4. It was great to be part of it, and I hope I will have the chance to be part of it again.
