Soil Stories: Building Bridges for Planetary Sustainability
Soil Stories was developed as part of Swissnex’s global initiative Swissnex for the Planet, with the ambition to rethink our relationship with soil by bridging science, art, culture, and diplomacy. The program explored soil not merely as a resource, but as a living ecosystem and a cultural common — a foundation for sustainability, food systems, biodiversity, and climate resilience.
The initiative brought together Swiss and Korean researchers, artists, practitioners, and thinkers working across sustainable agriculture, soil science, food systems, and ecological awareness. Through public events, workshops, dialogues, and curated encounters, Soil Stories created a platform where diverse perspectives could meet: from cutting-edge research on soil biodiversity and underground fungal networks, to artistic interpretations of ecological processes, to spiritual and philosophical approaches to living in harmony with nature.
A distinctive feature of the program was its interdisciplinary approach. Swiss artist-researcher Marcus Maeder (former ZHdK, now HSLU) contributed through his project Sounding Soil, which makes soil life audible using acoustic technologies. His work offered audiences a sensory experience of soil as a vibrant, living world, inviting deeper emotional and intellectual engagement with ecological systems. The sound of soil will still resonate in 2026 marking the beginning of a cooperation with Korean counterparts from Dongguk University. In parallel, cultural perspectives were explored through the dialogue with Korean Seon Buddhist nun Jeong Kwan Snim, whose philosophy views soil as sacred and emphasizes humility, interdependence, and care for all living beings. This encounter highlighted strong resonances between traditional ecological wisdom and contemporary sustainability science.
In 2026, Soil Stories: Reconnect will build on Soil Stories by bringing together academia, industry, and government around the theme of sustainable agriculture and regenerative soil. The event was initiated as a follow-up to the collaboration between Jamie Allen (FHNW), researcher and artist, and Korean counterparts from KAIST working on the Anthropocene, with particular attention to its impacts on soil, agriculture, and human health.
By connecting scientific knowledge with artistic expression and cultural traditions, Soil Stories fostered new narratives around soil, sustainability, and interconnectedness. The program strengthened Swissnex’s role as a connector across disciplines and geographies, while offering a meaningful framework for international collaboration on planetary challenges.
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