Thinking Soil & Water

The Soil & Water project (2024–2026), taking place at the NIROX Sculpture Park in the Cradle of Humankind in South Africa, serves as an archive for this Africa-UniNet project. The initiative analyses, interprets, and disseminates the knowledge accumulated in the Soil & Water project and explores how it contributes to ecological understanding, cultural practices, and transdisciplinary approaches to interdependent material relationships. 

Initiated in response to pollution of rivers and groundwater in the Cradle of Humankind, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in South Africa, the Soil & Water project has evolved into a transdisciplinary platform examining the complex relationships among ecological processes, cultural narratives, and social realities. Developed by Johan Thom (University of Pretoria) and Basak Senova (University of Applied Arts Vienna), in collaboration with the  NIROX Foundation, Soil & Water brought together more than 60 international artists whose work engages with the fragile relationship between soil and water. By combining scientifically grounded environmental knowledge, socio-historical research, and material-based artistic practice, Thinking Soil & Water aims at creating an archive and an open platform for re-examining the cultural and ecological narratives embedded in Soil & Water. The Vienna Assembly, hosted by the University of Applied Arts Vienna, will bring ecological knowledge into dialogue with artistic translations of ecological intelligence, thereby generating a hybrid, transdisciplinary research architecture.

The Soil & Water project took shape at NIROX Sculpture Park in South Africa through residencies and modular exhibitions, and subsequently expanded to Pretoria, utilising venues at the University of Pretoria and the Javett Art Centre of the University of Pretoria, including walkabouts, concerts, workshops, artist talks, community engagement projects, and a symposium held between November 2025 and April 2026. The project later developed through two further iterations: in Cyprus, across Kyrenia and Nicosia, in collaboration with ARUCAD University of Art, Design and Communication; and in Rwanda, at Nyandungu Eco-Park, Kigali’s first restored urban wetland, with residencies and exhibitions. Further iterations are planned in France and Vienna in 2027 and 2028.

The artists included in the archive are Abri de Swardt (ZA), Alet Pretorius (ZA), Atang Tshikare (ZA), Atul Bhalla (IN), Barbara Putz-Plecko (AT), Caroline Le Méhauté (FR), The Centre for the Less Good Idea (ZA), Christophe Fellay (CH), Coral Bijoux (ZA), Diana Vives & Douglas Gimberg (CH/ZA), Diane Victor (ZA), Diego Masera (AR), Ebru Kurbak (TR/AT), Egle Oddo (IT/FI), Eugénie Touzé (FR), Francesco Bellina (IT), Hera Büyüktaşcıyan (TR), Herrana Addisu (ET), Hope Azeda (UG/RW), Ibrahim Mahama (GH), Innocent Nkurunziza (RW), Inma Herrera (ES/FI), Isa Rosenberger (AT), Io Makandal (HT/ZA), Jacob van Schalkwyk (ZA), Jeremy & Colleen Wafer (ZA), Jessica Ostrowicz (UK), Jesper Just (DK), Johan Thom (ZA), Lundahl & Seitl (SE), Madeyoulook (ZA), Maria Lantz (SE), Marja Helander (FI), Marcus Neustetter (AT/ZA), Mithu Sen (IN), Olu Oguibe (NG), Oya Silbery (CY), Paula Anta (ES), Ramesh Daha (AT), Raúl Mirlo (MX), Robin Rhode (ZA/DE), Rojda Tuğrul (TR), Sebastian Stumpf (DE), Seretse Moletsane (ZA), Serge Attukwei Clottey (GH), Setlamorago Mashilo (ZA), Serge Attukwei Clottey (GH), Shaken Grounds Collective (AT) [Nikolaus Gansterer, Mariella Greil, Victor Jaschke, Peter Kozek, Werner Moebius & Lucie Strecker], SUPERFLEX (DK), Vibha Galhotra (IN), and Wayne Binitie (UK), Willem Boshoff (ZA) and The ZoNE (AT/CH/TR/ZA). With each project iteration, the archive continues to expand.

Thinking Soil & Water is the fourth collaboration between the University of Applied Arts Vienna and the University of Pretoria. The partnership began with the Octopus Programme and continued with the Africa-UniNet project A Research of Doing and the Soil & Water project. As this fourth joint initiative, Thinking Soil & Water builds on a long-standing, productive, and trusting collaboration between the two universities. Each project has laid the foundation for the next, thus enabling a continuous deepening of this partnership.

Led by Basak Senova in collaboration with Johan Thom, the project team includes Lize Kriel (Deputy Head of the School of Arts and Programme Coordinator for Visual Arts at the University of Pretoria and Alexander Damianisch (Department of Art and Research Support at the University of Applied Arts Vienna), as well as associated researchers from the University of Pretoria: Nigel Baker, Sikho Syotula, Avi Sooful, Coral Bijoux, Jacob van Schalkwyk, Cazlynne Peffer, and Teboho Lebakeng. From the University of Applied Arts Vienna, Annette Krauss, Sofia Bempeza, Petra Gruber, Wolfgang Fiel, and Nikolaus Gansterer.

Thinking Soil & Water is an AFRICA UNINET Project, supported by OeAD Africa-UniNet and BMBWF.