Speculation on the flavors of the future, exploration of compost as a source of nutrients for soil and people.
This project explores the production of new humxn-made earth-like substances meant especially for voluntary ingestion by humxns. The act of making compost plays into the engagement with recreating healthy soil that is sufficient in nutrients and minerals.
One may assume that it is unsafe to consume material waste that has solely been broken down by organisms such as fungi, worms, nematodes, protozoa, and mites and can be a breeding ground due to its humid nature for bacteria. Monitoring the potential outcome is one of the benefits of compost creation. However, arguably, it is difficult to fully monitor a natural process, especially when it is outdoors and is vulnerable to contamination.
Compost as Superfood aims to discuss the safety surrounding the consumption of organic materials, as well as the complexity of cultural understanding, spatial awareness, environmental awareness, and personal desires surrounding this. Hopefully, the project outcome will be both delicious and healthy.
dr. masharu (they/them) lives and works in Amsterdam. masharu is an earth eater, an earth lover, and a founder of the Museum of Edible Earth. masharu’s projects combine scientific research with a personal approach and cultural practices. In 2011, they obtained a PhD in Mathematics and graduated with honors from the Photo Academy Amsterdam. From 2013 to 2014, they participated in the art-in-residency program at Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunst in Amsterdam. In 2018 masharu was an artist fellow at the Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study in the Humanities and Social Sciences (NIAS-KNAW).
masharu’s artistic as well as scientific work has been exhibited, screened and published in more than 30 countries in such venues and events as Word Soil Museum in Wageningen, Ars Electronica Center in Linz, Modern Art Museum in Yerevan, African Artists’ Foundation in Lagos, Spanish Cultural Centre in Guatemala City, World Design Event in Eindhoven, ReadyTex Gallery in Paramaribo, 4th Jakarta Contemporary Ceramics Biennale in Jakarta, European Ceramic Workcentre in Oisterwijk, Sustainica in Dusseldorf and Museo Maritimo in Bilbao. masharu received several awards, such as the Award of Distinction at Prix Ars Electronica (Austria) and the YouFab Global Creative Awards (Japan). masharu’s work is supported by the Mondriaan Fund.
Made possible by support from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
