Art for a living soil

The sweet fragrance of the soil after the rains, the lively brown-ness of recently ploughed fields, the pleasant crunch of grit as you bite into sweet carrots and mooli, the glistening sweat on the farmer's brow, the feel of wet soil in your hands as you laugh and play, – there is something very appealing about these experiences.

Ingrained in the soil is the farmer’s despair, watching the once-fertile land turn barren and ill, from years of attack by the very chemicals meant to bring prosperity and productivity. There is also the hope, belief and knowledge that nature will heal herself and the Earth, if we just give her the time and respect.

Greenpeace India is celebrating soils and farmers. The Greenpeace Living Soils Exposition– “Of Soils, Subsidies and Survival” - 14th to 16th March 2011, is an art exhibition highlighting the need to rejuvenate our soils. Agricultural experts, scientists, farmers and key opinion-makers in the field will share thoughts, experiences and solutions at a panel discussion on Day 1, 14th March.

Over the years, our soil has suffered a lot due to the indiscriminate use of chemical fertilizers. Ecological fertilization - the use of natural and organic manures and soil-friendly farming practices - will breathe life into our distressed soils.

The expo, taking place at the Constitution Club in New Delhi, will host several important visitors like Planning Commission members, agriculture experts, academicians and scientists, MPs in Delhi attending the Parliament session, in an informative and creative manner. The idea is to bring soil health and our farmers' future into focus, as the Parliament discusses our proposed spending on agriculture. The expo will emphasise the need to support  farmers with policies and subsidies that enable them to enrich their soils with ecological fertilisation.

If you can capture the essence of the soil and its beauty on your camera, canvas or in stone/clay, then send it to us. We will showcase your art work on the theme “Soils and Survival”, at the Greenpeace Living Soils Exposition. You don’t have to be a professional to participate in this exhibition. If you are one, then you should definitely send us your work. Here’s what you need to do.

Painters and sculptors can send photographs of their original art works by 5th March 2011 to  on the theme ‘Soils and Survival’. Participants will also have to include a note about themselves and their art work and how it relates to the theme in not more than 500 words.

Participants will have to send/deliver the original piece at the Greenpeace Delhi office (T-95-A, Ist Floor CL House, Gautam Nagar New Delhi 110 001) if their entries are selected. In special cases, Greenpeace will bear the cost of transport of the art work selected, at the discretion of Greenpeace.

Photographers can mail a low-resolution copy of their high-resolution (300 dpi & above) original photograph, to , with a note about themselves, their art work and how it relates to the theme in not more than 500 words.

A Greenpeace panel will select appropriate photographs based on their artistic and technical qualities as well as closeness to the theme. On selection, the participants will be requested to send the high-resolution (300 dpi +) version of their original photograph, which will be enlarged for display. Greenpeace will print and frame the selected photos for the expo.

Selected art works will be showcased at the expo, giving due credit to all selected, participating artists. Please ensure that your art-entry is your original art-work. Greenpeace does not take any responsibility for authenticity of ownership of entries.

Greenpeace reserves the right to use images of all such art works for Greenpeace campaigns on crucial issues of environmental justice. The original art-work will be returned to the respective participants at the end of the exhibition. However, Greenpeace will be happy to accept a willing donation of the art work.