Museum of edible earth
Project by Masha Ru Studio
Geophagy is the practice of eating earth or soil-like materials. Eating of soil and soil-like substances is an ancient spiritual and healing practice which is an integral part of culture in a number of countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. For example, in Guatemala, Suriname, Indonesia, Ghana and Nigeria clay snacks and tablets are sold as edible products on the market.
Geophagy is the practice of eating earth or soil-like materials. Eating of soil and soil-like substances is an ancient spiritual and healing practice which is an integral part of culture in a number of countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. For example, in Guatemala, Suriname, Indonesia, Ghana and Nigeria clay snacks and tablets are sold as edible products on the market.
Russian-born Amsterdam-based artist Masha Ru, has been eating soil since she was a child. Whether chalk, pieces of clay or sand, she has a taste for them all. She consumes earth daily – not huge amounts, but small mouthfuls. 'It's the same as drinking a glass of wine. I do it for the taste, not for nutritional, spiritual or other reasons.'
With a PhD in mathematics and a degree in photography, eating earth is one of Masha's passions, and one in which she has gained artistic recognition. She has already set up several projects that deal with the topic of geophagy. The most recent of these is the Museum of Edible Earth, which brings together a collection of edible soils from across the globe. The museum invites the audience to review their knowledge about food and cultural traditions using creative thinking. The Museum of Edible Earth will address the following questions: What stands behind earth-eating tradition? Where does the edible earth come from? What are the possible benefits and dangers of eating earth? How do the material properties in earth affect its flavor? Its goal is to constitute an extensive collection of soils suggested for oral use from the most countries possible and, through their different cultural uses and histories, but also with the help of cross-disciplinary partnerships, workshops and collaborations, redesigning and reconsidering the earth.
With the view to understand more the reality of contemporary geophagy, and also to constitute a research basis for the Museum of Edible Earth, the Masha Ru Studio has been building up an extensive database of the edible soils for oral use available on the market. More than 200 different types of soils from 24 different countries have been purchased through internet and in cultural shops to form the basis for The Museum of Edible Earth. During the event we would like to invite you to experience some of the soils and talk about their content, as well as discuss possible stimuli for geophagy. Eating earth is not recommended by food authority and reminds at your own risk.
With a PhD in mathematics and a degree in photography, eating earth is one of Masha's passions, and one in which she has gained artistic recognition. She has already set up several projects that deal with the topic of geophagy. The most recent of these is the Museum of Edible Earth, which brings together a collection of edible soils from across the globe. The museum invites the audience to review their knowledge about food and cultural traditions using creative thinking. The Museum of Edible Earth will address the following questions: What stands behind earth-eating tradition? Where does the edible earth come from? What are the possible benefits and dangers of eating earth? How do the material properties in earth affect its flavor? Its goal is to constitute an extensive collection of soils suggested for oral use from the most countries possible and, through their different cultural uses and histories, but also with the help of cross-disciplinary partnerships, workshops and collaborations, redesigning and reconsidering the earth.
With the view to understand more the reality of contemporary geophagy, and also to constitute a research basis for the Museum of Edible Earth, the Masha Ru Studio has been building up an extensive database of the edible soils for oral use available on the market. More than 200 different types of soils from 24 different countries have been purchased through internet and in cultural shops to form the basis for The Museum of Edible Earth. During the event we would like to invite you to experience some of the soils and talk about their content, as well as discuss possible stimuli for geophagy. Eating earth is not recommended by food authority and reminds at your own risk.
Russian-born Amsterdam-based artist Masha Ru, has been eating soil since she was a child. Whether chalk, pieces of clay or sand, she has a taste for them all. She consumes earth daily – not huge amounts, but small mouthfuls. 'It's the same as drinking a glass of wine. I do it for the taste, not for nutritional, spiritual or other reasons.'
With a PhD in mathematics and a degree in photography, eating earth is one of Masha's passions, and one in which she has gained artistic recognition. She has already set up several projects that deal with the topic of geophagy. The most recent of these is the Museum of Edible Earth, which brings together a collection of edible soils from across the globe. The museum invites the audience to review their knowledge about food and cultural traditions using creative thinking. The Museum of Edible Earth will address the following questions: What stands behind earth-eating tradition? Where does the edible earth come from? What are the possible benefits and dangers of eating earth? How do the material properties in earth affect its flavor? Its goal is to constitute an extensive collection of soils suggested for oral use from the most countries possible and, through their different cultural uses and histories, but also with the help of cross-disciplinary partnerships, workshops and collaborations, redesigning and reconsidering the earth.
With the view to understand more the reality of contemporary geophagy, and also to constitute a research basis for the Museum of Edible Earth, the Masha Ru Studio has been building up an extensive database of the edible soils for oral use available on the market. More than 200 different types of soils from 24 different countries have been purchased through internet and in cultural shops to form the basis for The Museum of Edible Earth. During the event we would like to invite you to experience some of the soils and talk about their content, as well as discuss possible stimuli for geophagy. Eating earth is not recommended by food authority and reminds at your own risk.
With a PhD in mathematics and a degree in photography, eating earth is one of Masha's passions, and one in which she has gained artistic recognition. She has already set up several projects that deal with the topic of geophagy. The most recent of these is the Museum of Edible Earth, which brings together a collection of edible soils from across the globe. The museum invites the audience to review their knowledge about food and cultural traditions using creative thinking. The Museum of Edible Earth will address the following questions: What stands behind earth-eating tradition? Where does the edible earth come from? What are the possible benefits and dangers of eating earth? How do the material properties in earth affect its flavor? Its goal is to constitute an extensive collection of soils suggested for oral use from the most countries possible and, through their different cultural uses and histories, but also with the help of cross-disciplinary partnerships, workshops and collaborations, redesigning and reconsidering the earth.
With the view to understand more the reality of contemporary geophagy, and also to constitute a research basis for the Museum of Edible Earth, the Masha Ru Studio has been building up an extensive database of the edible soils for oral use available on the market. More than 200 different types of soils from 24 different countries have been purchased through internet and in cultural shops to form the basis for The Museum of Edible Earth. During the event we would like to invite you to experience some of the soils and talk about their content, as well as discuss possible stimuli for geophagy. Eating earth is not recommended by food authority and reminds at your own risk.
Masha Ru is a creative with the background in science. Masha's projects combine scientific research with a personal approach and cultural practices. In 2011 Ru obtained a PhD in Mathematics and graduated with honours from Photo Academy Amsterdam. In 2013-2014 she participated in the art-in-residency programme at Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunst in Amsterdam. In 2018 she was an artist fellow at the Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study in the Humanities and Social Sciences (NIAS-KNAW). Her artistic as well as scientific work has been exhibited, screened and published in various countries, including the Netherlands, Russia, Spain, France, Germany, Portugal, Belgium, Denmark, Austria, Croatia, Ukraine, USA, UK, China,Suriname, Guatemala and Indonesia, in such venues as 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, 6th Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Arts in Moscow, Museo Maritimo in Bilbao, Festival de la photographie de Toulouse in Toulouse, at the Potok art-camping at Russia.
References and photos
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