Bringing together art, biogeochemistry, and ecology, Cultivating the Past explores the entangled histories and futures of land, Contemporary artworks by Danielle Petti are made from foraged natural pigments, integrated with photographic processes to foreground transformation, instrumentation, and connection through the interplay of light, water, and soil. Archival materials trace local histories of agriculture, soil management, and environmental change, revealing the lasting legacies of the soil and how they continue to shape environmental futures. At its core is the Sustainable Resource Management Living Lab, a collaborative site where researchers and community members study nutrient cycles in urban agriculture under shifting climate conditions.

Through shared experimentation and water flow observation, the lab aims to model how urban green spaces can better contribute to responsible care for the land. Surrounding the Lab, Laura Lima Nishida’s mural anchors these inquiries, making the invisible of the sky and the underground, visible through the interplay of colour and light. This exhibition invites viewers to recognize their own roles within these interconnected systems and to imagine more reciprocal relationships with the land via experimentation and documentation, knowledge, and creative practice.

Curated By: Dr. Geneviève S. Metson, Danielle Petti and Natalie Scola

Artworks By: Laura Lima Nishida and Sophia Slabon

Photographs By: Danielle Petti