Common Soil is on display in the rectory of the Ruigoord church. A research project in which the personal history and memories of Inge Meijer were the trigger.

Inge Meijer's family has been connected to the soil of this land for numerous generations. An area that has changed over the past 50 years from arable farming to nature reserve, to what it is today: a port and industrial no man's land.

Common Soil conveys the significance of pristine landscapes and the need to preserve them. The project initiated by Inge Meijer focuses on the preservation of wild nature and highlights efforts to protect it. Though this was not a success for the area around Ruigoord, Groenoord, we can see drawings by Hilke Krohn, depicting the Groenoord Action Camp, the nature reserve surrounding Ruigoord in 1997. For months on end, Hilke drew the environmental activists of GroenFont in their struggle to preserve nature and oppose the arrival of industry.

The photos by Jacob Walters, Martin Melchers and Coby Vlaanderen show the vibrant wilderness of the western port area at the time. Despite the disappearance of much nature, the film Amsterdam Wildlife (made by Melchers and Merel Westrik) shows that nature – where possible – simply adapts.

The film screening Amsterdam Wildlife will follow in autumn 2023 - see ruigoord.nl - with a Q&A with urban ecologist Martin Melchers.

Inge Meijer (1986) explores the complex relationships between modern humans and their environment, using iconic images to question normalised narratives. Combining self-mockery with a down-to-earth view of the world, she offers an absurd insight into the unbridled human urge to control and rank their environment. Meijer has exhibited her work at the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam and the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, among other places. Her publication The Plant Collection was recognised as one of the Best Dutch Book Designs in 2020 and she is currently an artist in residence at the Netherlands Institute for Advanced Studies (NIAS).