Soils x Design Academy Eindhoven

Portal to Jaguarity - Natali Aguirre Montaña

Portal to Jaguarity takes you on a journey of reflection on our desire to explore and conquer distant lands. Inspired by Chiribiquete, the largest natural park in the Colombian Amazon, this artwork pays tribute to the age-old idea of ​​'Jaguarity'. This concept was revered by the region's inhabitants more than 10,000 years ago. With more than 75,000 icons of shamanic art, they shared their deep knowledge of the jaguar and the land, and celebrated the balance between man and nature. Natali Aguirre Montaña translated this into an impressive tapestry, which combines oil painting and tufting techniques, acting as a portal to earthly and spiritual worlds, accessible through your own imagination.
Natali Aguirre Montaña is a Colombian architect and artist based in Rotterdam. In her work she delves into Latin American culture and emphasizes intersectionality, ancestral knowledge and matriarchy. By delving deeper into cultural roots, she stimulates conversations about indigenous wisdom, collective memory and identity.

The Feed Factor - Mira Ying

We get our food from the earth, but with our insatiable hunger we also bring that same earth out of balance. Compound feed (dry animal feed composed of various ingredients) in livestock farming plays a major role in the explosive growth of agriculture after World War II, but also contributes to the current problems with soil acidification. Designer Mira Ying investigates how all this is connected: the feed, post-war agricultural policy, concrete factories, and even the artificial food that people consume. All these developments are based on an outdated idea of ​​progress and overproduction.

Mira Ying is a versatile designer, writer and publisher. Her work revolves around the connection between knowledge, imaging and care for the world around us. She works with the international visual culture collective The Type and is currently studying Information Design at the Design Academy Eindhoven.

Urban Trophies - Pia Gräwe

A fascinating interplay between urban development and nature takes place beneath the sidewalk of Eindhoven. In her project 'Urban Trophies', Pia Gräwe explores this relationship by looking at the sand on which the city is built. Before construction can begin, roots and other biological material are extracted from the sand, and the natural bonding elements of the soil are often overlooked. These are the 'urban trophies': strong plants that adapt perfectly to city life, but can be seen as a threat if they grow beyond human control.

Pia Gräwe, a Dortmund-born artist and designer, now lives and works in Eindhoven. She investigates the relationship between city and nature, viewing geopolitical themes through an emotional lens. Pia is currently following a master's degree in Contextual Design at the Design Academy Eindhoven.