The 17th Journées d’Étude des Sols (JES 2025) in Geneva brought together nearly 300 participants among which were researchers, farmers, artists, students, and practitioners to explore the theme “Soils, Functions, and Transition.” Among the highlights of the event was the SOILSCAPE project dedicated to reshaping our relationship to soils by weaving together scientific research, artistic expression, creative teaching methods, and citizenengagement. The event also hosted the very first inter-Orchestre Sol & Art meeting, bringing together France and Switzerland—two key partner countries of the project.
Among the various activities of the Soil Study Days (JES 2025) were scientific presentations and collaborative educational activities to artistic performances, serious games, and immersive field trips. SOILSCAPE showcased its unique transdisciplinary approach through the project’s initiatives such as the MATES (Maps and Transects through European SOilscapes) – an initiative for sensitive and collective mapping of European soils and SEPia (Soil European Pedolandscape Image Archive) – a visual archive documenting pedological landscapes.
The report “ The SOILSCAPE project at the Journées d’Etude des Sols in Geneva” offers a detailed information of these moments from innovative Franco-Swiss student competitions, to creative installations and performances, to the ways digital communication and public outreach helped amplify the project’s reach.
By combining academic rigor with artistic and participatory methods, SOILSCAPE is shaping new ways of understanding soils—at once scientific, sensitive, and collaborative.
Download and read the full report to discover how SOILSCAPE is inspiring a new culture of soils and paving the way for future international collaborations.
