ABSTRACT
For the ongoing project, Sammlung Weltensand (Collection of World Sand, 2001–present), Elvira Wersche has collected thousands of soil samples from all over the world, which she uses to create large geometric floor designs in meditative performances and installations in museums, churches, and other public buildings. After the design is complete, all colors are merged in a simple final performance as sand from all over the world is swept together and then given to members of the audience. With a passion for artworks and poetry, Alex McBratney looked at Wersche's art and was inspired to write some poems. In response Wersche wrote down some ideas and the dialogue process iterated from there. The two discussed soil diversity, the field of pedometrics, and the idea of soil nescience, or that which cannot be quantitatively known about the soil.
