The Soil & Water project keeps evolving and we are happy to announce its inclusion in this year’s Vrystaat Kunstefees (Free State Arts Festival|) from 7-11 July 2027. The Festival is held annually in Bloemfontein and this year its overall curator is MC Roodt. More information on the Festival can be found here: https://vrystaatkunstefees.co.za/en/vrystaat-arts-festival-2026/

Soil & Water is an international arts program collaboratively developed and curated by Prof. Johan Thom (University of Pretoria), Dr. Basak Senova (Vienna), and the NIROX Foundation in South Africa. It proposes a dynamic, modular platform emerging from the Cradle of Humankind to rethink, reimagine, and reconfigure our fragile relationship with soil and water. Framed by ecology, storytelling, and material culture, it recognises that these relationships are culturally embedded, not merely scientific. The project seeks to generate ideas and actions for the sustainable transformation of our engagement with the natural world, its resources, and our place within it for future generations. More information on the ever-evolving project can be found here: https://www.soilandwater.net/

The Soil & Water project will be represented at the Free State Arts Festival by a smaller selection of artworks curated by Johan Thom and shown daily at the Scholtz Hall (Bloemfontein University Campus) from 9:00-18:00.

Soil & Water: Freestate Crossings includes works by the following national and international artists:

Barbara Putz-Plecko (AT)
Maria Lanz (SE)
Ramesh Daha (AT)
Lundhal and Seitl (SE)
Jesper Just (DK)
Jaco van Schalkwyk (ZA)
Robin Rhode (ZA)
Seretse Moletsane (ZA)
Alet Pretorius(ZA)
Senzo Masondo (ZA)
Tshepiso Mahooe (ZA)
Johan Thom (ZA)
Jeremy Wafer (ZA)
The Waterstories Community Engagement Project (ZA), University of Pretoria

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