Tales of the Soil

A series of almost unearthly objects forms the heart of this installation: four pink sculptures set within a verdant landscape. Combining synthetic and natural elements, the works are composed of metal structures with pigmented A1 coating over fiberglass, their surfaces layered with moss that appears to grow naturally. These living assemblages celebrate the abundance, change, and innate beauty of nature while exploring the interconnectedness of space, matter, and being.

At various times, performances unfold around the sculptures, where performers move through the landscape alongside these otherworldly forms. Guided by collective rhythm, they respond to the materiality of the works, allowing movement, texture, and sound to shape a dialogue that dissolves the boundaries between theatre, music, and visual art. Every gesture, note, and arrangement contributes to a Gesamtkunstwerk, a unified sensory experience in which disciplines converge.

The installation reflects on the tensions and frictions between nature, culture, and technology, exploring possibilities for coexistence. It invites the audience to enter a symbiotic environment and to listen—to the soil, to the body, to the subtle pulse of shared existence. Within this landscape of transformation, new perspectives emerge, offering insight into how all species might coexist through awareness and acknowledgment of interdependence.

The work was developed during the bachelor study at HKU and later expanded in scope during De Oase van Verwondering and Het Landjuweel at Ruigoord in 2023.


Performed by
Igor Herder
Alina Pilecka
Lotte Verkaik
Zsófia Molnár
Jackie Galama
Saša Skovajsikova

Make-up
Merel van Vlijmen

Music Production
Benjamin Schoones

Design and Illustration by
Naomi Hettiarachchige Hubèrt

Costume Design
Jentl Rietdijk aka Jeshiva Mendel

Photography credits go to Rasheed Vlijter