What’s beneath our feet—and the museum? Monica Haller, the MIA’s current artist-in-residence, became curious about these questions when her father removed piles of soil from a family property near Albertville several years ago. That gesture was the starting point for intriguing discussions about soil, and digging down into it, to discover geological and sociological histories. During her residency the project has grown, as Haller has made strong connections with researchers at the University of Minnesota, studying samples of Minnesota soil for years, and at the Minnesota Geological Survey, which maps the state’s geological history.

Haller uses scientific data and soil samples to find new ways to understand artworks in the MIA’s collection. Her particular interest is how knowledge of soil might affect visitors’ thinking about the ground on which the museum sits, as well as understand historical depictions of the landscape and objects made of materials from the ground. Her new commission, a series of soil sample “monoliths,” will be installed throughout the museum; it will be accompanied by docent-led tours to explore the topic further.

Read more about Monica Haller’s exhibition, “Beneath the Ground”  featured in the Star Tribune and the National Cooperative Soil Survey Newsletter.

Watch a video on Monica Haller’s exhibition here.

 

This project is made possible by a grant from