On Monday 28th, the workshop ‘Rethinking Agriculture’ kicked off NMBU and Nibio’s Soil Week, immersing participants in a journey of reflection and reconnection with the land.
The event unfolded within the resonant space of the “sensing soil” exhibition, where the pioneering soil “sensors” share their methods and insights. Beneath the vibrant topsoil, in Vitenparken’s basement, 15 participants gathered amid the recorded sounds of soil life. Here, they were invited to shape local compost, clay and seeds into springtime gifts.
In pairs, participants greeted one another with one hand while forming seed balls together, balancing resistance and pressure, and giving and receiving such gifts. This ritual was more than just crafting; it embodied the principles of exchange, resilience, and connection.
Alongside seed-ball creation, we explored the concept and practice of samberging, or commoning-sufficiency. Inspired by Global Majority grassroots movements that elevate principles such as Buen Vivir and Ubuntu, Samberging offers a framework to rethink collective care and responsibility.
To bring samberging into a local context, we enacted a story of caring for Norway’s coastal heathlands. Here, the purple shrub, Calluna Vulgaris, was imagined as a sister – a material and symbolic thread of the interdependence that sustains our landscapes. The exploration of Calluna sparked a conversation rooted in the themes of diversity, sufficiency, and care. Memories of place-based practices filled our circle with voices expressing hope and, at times, despair. Through these exchanges, we sought to reclaim our Commons and move beyond competition, beyond binaries and beyond linear short-term outcomes.
We found the conversation has rippled throughout the soil week with material and symbolic nourishment. The 22 remaining seed-balls were gifted at the last scientific symposium of the Soil-Week (Wednesday 30th). On this day, the traditional ‘expert panel’ became circular, with everyone present being acknowledged as experts in their own life and profession. At this intersection of art, science and policy making, we wonder if the seed-balls already sprouted.
The art and research collective, Sneglene, is thrilled to share that the theme and approach will be woven into the coming International Degrowth Conference in June 2025. Stay grounded and connected.