Soil Assembly at Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2025

KOCHI:
A four-day ‘Soil Assembly’ conference began at the Kochi-Muziris Biennale here today, bringing to the fore that active participation and resilience of local communities are essential for protecting the world’s rapidly degrading soil.

Speakers at the conference warned that without proper awareness and intervention, the consequences could be severe within the next two decades.

Delivering the keynote address, Bose Krishnamachari, co-founder of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB), underlined the importance of strong political awareness while engaging with environmental issues through art.

He noted that socially relevant themes gain wider acceptance when expressed through contemporary art, and appreciated the courage of the organizers in presenting such concerns on an international platform.

The conference’s objective is to bring together artists and researchers from across the world to collectively explore the relationship between art and ecology, with the broader goal of creating social change.

Artists from Brazil, China, Japan, Indonesia, Spain, and Italy are participating in the workshop.

Today’s sessions featured talks by Meena Vari, co-curator of The Soil Assembly; Mario D’Souza, Director of Programmes, Kochi Biennale Foundation (KBF); social activist Manoj Kumar; Spanish artist Asunción Molinos Gordo; and Swiss permaculture designer & farmer Ramon Grenden.

Sessions focused on diverse themes such as wetlands, mangroves, marine trade, and soil microorganisms. Pedro Soler and Daniela Moreno of Ecuador screened a short film portraying the survival struggles of communities in their country.

As part of the event, a special workshop, ‘Anahata Nada’ (Unstruck Sound), will be held at the Mangalavanam Bird Sanctuary on Wednesday.

On Thursday (22 January), a Wild Food Walk, led by environmental activist Shruti Therayil, will highlight the importance of discovering locally available edible wild plants.

Three short films, including Uppuveedukal, directed by Aarathi M R, which documents the fragile condition of Kerala’s coastal regions, will also be screened.