Boots on the Ground, Hands in the Soil

Synopsis

"Boots on the Ground, Hands in the Soil" is a multimedia project which evolved from the academic research of Ukrainian traditional ecological knowledge and the role of gardening during the war. It consists of a physical installation and a documentary film.The film centres around the spiritual bond shared by me and my charismatic grandmother, Zoya, a proud Ukrainian pensioner who cherishes her non-capitalistic peasant lifestyle. In the winter of 2021, Zoya presented me with a package of her harvested tomato seeds. The next gardening season, however, coincided with the devastating invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation.

Director Biography

Karolina Uskakovych is a designer, artist, and photographer from Kyiv, Ukraine. She is currently pursuing her Master’s degree at The Royal Academy of Arts in The Hague where she is conducting research on vicory gardens in the context of russia's war in Ukraine. Karolina is co-founder of the Uzvar_Collective and Art Director for the magazine Anthroposphere: The Oxford Climate Review. She is also the artist in residence with the Digital Ecologies research group. 1/5 Ukrainian Environmental Humanities Network.