Elementary Pathways to Critical Sustainability: (Re)Framing the Future through Narratives of Soil and Water
The RICH research group Environmental Humanities was recently awarded one of the RCSC seed grants for the academic year 2025-2026. The RICH research group (which consists of historians, art-historians, archaeologists, human geographers, literary and cultural scholars, philosophers and linguists) discerns a unique opportunity to (re)frame the narratives around “sustainability,” and proposes to do so by thematizing the elements of soil and water through a) a talk and film screening, b) co-curating an exhibit, and c) hosting an artist-in-residence.
"Our proposal, entitled Elementary Pathways to Critical Sustainability: (Re)Framing the Future through Narratives of Soil and Water focuses on the elements of soil and water. Since soil and water are both understood as direct, material forces and hold cultural and imaginative power as well, these elements offer a unique opportunity to 'get our feet wet and dirty' and to invite artists, film makers and curators to bring materials and imagination together to build creative narratives. By holding events and curating exhibits in local cultural spaces (de Bastei, Lux and Lindenberg) and by working with local artists and art studios, we aim to connect to the regional community.
The elemental pathways we propose catalyze ecological and long-term reflection, promote communities of care and cure and resonate with the RCSC Manifesto’s pleas for climate justice, planetary health and care for the more-than-human."