Soils Turn: A Field Guide to Artist Earthly Engagements

Soils Turn was the 2024 ecoartspace Call for Artists and is the 2025 printed book or "field guide," highlighting the work of over thirty distinguished soil artists, including soil essays, and directory of over 140 soil artists. 

Pages: 320

Size: 8.5 x 11 inches

Binding: Softcover, Sewn Signatures Publication language: English

First Edition: 300- Printed/Sold Out

Second Edition: 300 Taking Pre-Orders Spring 2026

ISBN: 979-8-9884004-2-4

Printer: BuchOne, Germany

Designers: Tyler Owens and Dexin Chen

 "…human beings are not in a separate compost pile. We are humus, not Homo, not anthropos; we are compost, not posthuman." Donna Haraway

Haraway’s clarion call to reimagine human‘ as humus‘ reflects a recent ‘soils turn’ in the social sciences and humanities, and is a provocation for mainstream soil knowledge that empowers humans to reconnect with soils. Heeding this call, Soils Turn is the 2025 ecoartspace printed book, to be realized as a directory of artists, designers, architects, and other creatives engaging with soil materials and soil protection issues. Under pressures of climate change, food sovereignty, pollution, and biodiversity loss, care of soils is urgently needed and must be addressed from multiple perspectives. Soils Turn is a practical guide for curators, scientists, students, policy makers and community organizers to connect with aesthetic earthly engagements.

Co-Editors

Alexandra R. Toland is assistant professor for arts and research at the Bauhaus University Weimar, where she directs the Ph.D. programme in art and design.

Patricia L. Watts is founder and curator of ecoartspace. She organizes the annual exhibitions and is publisher of six ecoartspace publications since 2020.

Artists include: Agnes Meyer-Brandis, Aindreas Scholz, Alexandra Toland, Alicia Escott, Allie Horick, Alyce Santoro, Alyson Ogasian & Shona Kitchen, Amanda Stomecki, Amy Youngs, Andrea Bersaglieri, Andrea Krupp, Anne Yoncha, Anne-Katrin Spiess, Annette Nykiel, Antoinette LaFarge, Asad Raza, Ashanti Chaplin, Ashton Phillips, Austen Camille, Barbara Brown, Ben Kinsley, Bernice Ficek-Swenson, Beth Shepherd, Beth Stephens and Annie Sprinkle, Betty Beier, Beverly Naidus, Bia Gayotto, Blair Butterfield, Brooke Singer, Camila de Andrade Bianchi, Carole Milon, Cassandra Tytler, Cat Hart, Catriona Leahy, Chrissie Orr, Christa Donner, Christina Bertea, Christine Mackey, Christopher Lin, Cindee Klement, Cindy Stockton-Moore, Claire Pentecost, Claudia O'Steen and Alyson Ogasian, Crista Cammaroto, CV Peterson, Dana Michele Hemes, Daniel Hengst, Daniel Robles Lizano, Daro Montag, Dawn Stetzel, Deanna Pindell, Delcy Morelos, Donna Cooper, Eileen Hutton, Ela Spalding, Emilie Houssart, Emily Joy, Erica Fitzgerald, Erin Wiersma, Esha Chiocchio, Evgenia Emets, Folke Köbberling, Frances Whitehead, Francesca Virginia Coppola, Future Farmers, Gabby Morris, Geraldine Ondrizek, Heather Bird Harris, Heidi Lowell, Helen Elizabeth, Hercules and Leo Case Collective, Jackie Amezquita, Jann Rosen-Queralt, Jen Urso, Jennifer Gunlock, Jill Price, Jo Pearl, Jodi Connelly, Johanna Meyer, John Melvin, John Newling, Juniper Harrower, Junuka Deshpande, Kate Foster, Katerie Gladdys, Kathleen King, Kathryn Maguire, Katie Taylor, Katrina Bello, Kelly Eckel, Kim Norton, Kim V. Goldsmith, Lauren Bon + Metabolic Studio, Leslie Labowitz-Starus, Lilian Cooper, Linda Duvall, Linda-Marlena Ross, Lisa Moren, Liz McGowan, Liz Miller Kovacs, Lola Ben Alon, Lori Nozick, Louella Aquino, Luc Biscan-White, Madelaine Corbin, Marcus Maeder, Marina Heron-Tsaplina, Marion Belanger, Mark Brest van Kempen, Martha Lewis, Maru Garcia, Mary Mattingly, Mary Swander, Mary Waltham, masharu, Melinda Hurst Frye, Melinda Kiefer Santiago, Micheal Wang, Miranda Whall, Moira Bateman, Nanih Bvlvancha - Monique Verdin, Myka Baum, Myriel Milićević and Susanne Jaschko, Nancy Macko, Nancy Winship Milliken, Nikki Lindt, Nina Rastgar, Olivia Newroz, (p)Art of the Biomass - Holmstedt & Lobell, Pamela Casper, Pattie Beerens, Paula Castillo, Perdita Phillips, Peter Ward, Phil Lambert, Priscilla Stadler, Rachel Frank, Rebecca Schultz, Renata Buziak, Rhonda Janke, Riva Weinstein, Robert Dash, Robin Raznick, Ruben Olguin, Ruth Loveland, Ruth Wallen, Samantha Passaniti, Samuel Johnstone, Sarah Misselbrook, Saskia Jorda, Saša Spačal, Shawn Skabelund, Sheila Novak, Soil Health & Agroecological Living Lab, Sophy King, Stacy Levy, Stefania Boiano, Steffie de Gaetano, Stephanie Garon, Stephanie Rothenberg, Susan Felter, Susan Rostow, Susan Smith, Susan Suntree, Susana Soares Pinto, Tim Andreae, Tim Collins & Reiko Goto, The Soil Factory, The Tissue Culture & Art Project (TC&A), Valerie Constantino, Vaughn Bell, Veronika Pfaffinger, Veslemøy Lilleengen, Vicki Mansoor, Violet Bond, Kosmologym - Walker Tufts