ReGenerativa Workshopreihe 2026

ReGenerativa Three-Part Workshop Series
Session 1: Workshop on Soil with Andrea Grill
13 May 2026

How the Skin of the Earth Sounds and Smells
Following the opening event of the ReGenerativa Future Platform in November 2026, three additional workshops will take place from May to September at the KinderKunstLabor for Contemporary Art in collaborative partnership. The ReGenerativa Future Platform brings together artists, businesses, and civil society with the aim of developing constructive scenarios for a regenerative future. In this workshop series, young people aged seven and above meet artists and designers to research, create, and reflect together. The workshops conceptually prepare for the exhibition Mission Future 2100.

The series begins with biologist and author Andrea Grill, who is widely known for her children’s book Bio-Diversi-What?(Bio-Diversi-Was?). In her workshop on the subject of soil, she invited children and young people to experience the ground as a living habitat.

At the beginning of the workshop, we are still standing in the foyer of the KinderKunstLabor on a stone “floor.” Andrea asks everyone to stand up, jump into the air, and observe how the landing feels. We repeat the same exercise outside on the grass. We notice that landing outdoors feels softer, but also slightly more unstable. Sitting together on a large rattan carpet between the linden tree and the sculpture Co:Co in Altoona Park, Andrea reads aloud the chapter “The Skin of the Earth” from her book Bio-Diversi-What?. Since visual processing often helps us absorb what we hear, we are invited to draw in small notebooks while listening to the author.

The young participants are then given the task of exploring the soil with all their senses: smelling, observing, comparing, drawing, touching, collecting, and listening. With a spirit of curiosity, creativity, and openness, the children and teenagers experience the soil in many different ways. They create charts, drawings made with natural materials, layered soil jars, carefully decorated soil bowls, and “fun jars”* — something Andrea especially enjoys. The students discover that soil smells very, very different depending on the place and also feels different in different locations.
But what does soil actually sound like? Andrea asks us. On the count of “3, 2, 1,” the young people give voice to the soil:
“Brrrrrr Pling Pling Plop Plop Plic Plop Knock Knock Brrrrrrrrrrrr hahaha Brrrrr pling pling”
Afterwards, everyone is invited to assemble their favourite type of soil on mirrored plates. Forest floors emerge, especially moist soils, grounds full of blossoms and plants, and even a beach landscape. The students ask the biologist what kind of soil she herself would like to be.
“A beach with vegetation, alternating between wet and dry,” Andrea answers.

At the end, the young participants are given the opportunity to ask both the soil and Andrea questions:

• “Why is the soil so hard?”
  Andrea Grill (speaking on behalf of the soil):
  “Firstly, gravity. Secondly, living beings walk on it and compress it. And the third reason is probably that we are so large. For tiny spiders and mites, the soil has lots of space — but because we are big, the soil seems hard to us.”
• “Does the soil feel comfortable here?”
  Andrea suggests that we listen carefully to see whether the soil gives us an answer. Suddenly, the wind begins to blow strongly and the leaves above us start rustling — we take this as the soil’s reply.
• “I think it’s wonderful that you made art out of me!” says one student, speaking in the voice of the soil.
  “I would like to thank the soil!”

* Recently, the trend of “fun jars” has been circulating on Instagram, TikTok, and other social media platforms. These decorative jars are filled with favourite sweets and serve as small everyday rewards.