As the world’s human population continues to grow, requiring more food and primary goods, our soils rapidly loose fertility due to the intensity with which we cultivate them. However, enormous scientific interest has been directed towards soil, as we discover its fascinating and mysterious properties as a complex ecosystem with the potential to help solving central problems like food security and even climate change.
Soil also has a strong symbolic handle on the human psyche, representing on one side nurturing, regenerative and fertile forces, and on the other the inscrutable depth of our unconscious. It provides plenty of visual, tactile and olfactory stimuli, making for a great photographic subject, in addition to a fun substance for children to play with.
“Pedogenesis” (the natural process of soil formation) aims to explore these different aspects by redirecting the viewer’s attention to this element that is both a source of mystery and wonderment as to what lies within, and a critical, yet underrated provider of our physical sustenance.