You Don’t Need Soil To Grow explores the dynamics of nomadism and grounding in modernity.
Connecting to a place is often seen as an expression of our roots and our relationship to the world around us.
In the past, the realization of one’s own identity was considered above all to be related to being rooted in the field of belonging. In eternal metamorphosis, relationships and identities are constantly changing.
The transition to modernity means that phenomena such as urbanization and gentrification change the urban topography, affecting neighborhoods and changing the way people interact with their surroundings.
“You Don’t Need Soil To Grow” identifies Berlin as a symbolic vessel representing n these dynamics. Characterized by the high presence of “expatriates,” or expatriates from different parts of the world, is an example of the possible emergence of transitional communities within a pre-existing environment. These beings are defined by Bowman as “wanderers of fluid modernity,” that is, those who, in their constant wanderings, give form and substance to the diversity of human experience.
Expatriate Portraits Women of different ages from all over the world (Israel, Poland, Czech Republic, USA, Australia, Brazil, Russia, Philippines, UK) in impersonal cities The spaces were captured and photographed to emphasize the fluidity of the place. In this case, the German “Kleingarten” (small garden ) represents a further example of how individuals seek to regenerate balance and community within a forever setting – the city of change. These public green spaces represent sanctuaries in the city, welcoming them within concrete walls, where they can regain their connection and sense of belonging to the earth. Widely distributed in Germany and arose in the first half of the twentieth century, they are urban oases in which to grow one’s own vegetable garden, interact with neighbors, reconnect with the earth, and have a more stable and solid dimension of time.
This journey between space and figure animates a possible narrative of the relationship between the earth and the individual.
