Boots on the Ground, Hands in the Soil

"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.