On 5 June 2025, artists of all disciplines and experience levels gathered in Wageningen, the Netherlands, for the opening day of CURIOSOIL's Artathon – Exploring the Art of Soil. This one-day creative event was designed to inspire artistic exploration of one of the planet's most vital yet underappreciated resources: soil. The event was organised in hybrid form, with 17 participants on-site and 22 online.
ISRIC
The event, organised by the CURIOSOIL project in collaboration with ISRIC – World Soil Information and the University of Aveiro, marked the launch of a multi-stage Artathon initiative. After this launch, interested participants will develop and submit their proposals for artworks or exhibitions inspired by soil.
On 4 July, shortlisted artists will return to present their concepts to a jury during the second day of the Artathon. Up to four artists will be selected to fully develop their ideas, each receiving up to €5,000 in funding. The completed artworks will be exhibited in the Interactive Soil Exhibition at the ISRIC World Soil Museum in Wageningen from January 2026, followed by a presentation at the Fábrica Centro Ciência Viva in Aveiro, Portugal in 2027. The exhibition is planned to travel to additional venues across Europe.
CURIOSOIL's mission is to spark curiosity about soil and cultivate a deeper connection between people and the ground beneath their feet. In alignment with the EU Mission: A Soil Deal for Europe, the project aims to transform how soil is valued, perceived, taught, and discussed throughout Europe.
Activities included hands-on workshops where artists were invited to explore soil using the senses. Participants created paints from soil, observed soils up close with a microscope, touched and smelled soils of different compositions, tasted soil and listened to soil sounds.
By combining art and science, the Artathon provides a unique platform for reimagining soil not only as a resource but also as a source of beauty and creativity.