Mini Composter and Soil Quality Workshop

This workshop focuses on soil and its vital role in the ecosystem. 
It explores ways to maintain healthy soil through sustainable and innovative design and artistic practices that improve soil fertility and biodiversity.

Presented by the Living Library Team and the Bio Design Lab of the Hochschule für Gestaltung Karlsruhe in collaboration with ZKM, the workshop teaches how to build a worm composter, exploring its nutrient-rich soil as an effective plant fertiliser.

As part of the research developed for the Living Library project, the first section will be dedicated to building a mini DIY composter, allowing participants to address composting from different perspectives, such as how to compost food and new organic materials.

Based on the Living Library’s ongoing research on soil and the collection of different samples, some soil structures will be observed in connection with their regional areas and nutrient composition. As the ultimate goal, participants will learn how to reuse the soil compost as a sustainable plant fertiliser.

The workshop is open to a wide audience of adults, art and design students, researchers and anyone simply curious. In order to register, please write to livinglibrary@hfg-karlsruhe.de

At 14:15 o’clock, workshop participants are invited to a free tour by curator Daria Mille through the exhibition »Assembling Grounds. Practices of Coexistence«.

At 18:00 o’clock, participants are welcome to join us at the Blaue Salon Cinema (at HfG Karlsruhe) for the screening of the documentary »Taste of the Land« by Adam Loften and Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee (USA 2024 / 70 min / DCP / Original version with English subtitles / with Kalyanee Mam / entry to the screening is free of charge).

Tour and screening complement the workshop. They all show how close our relationship to soil is and what role soil plays in the global ecosystem.