INFO
| Name | Soil of Cultures |
| Established | 2023 |
| Artform | Socially engaged art |
| Decades Active | 2020s |
| Ethnicities | Filipino |
| Names of Artists | Charles Buenconsejo, Grace Bariso-Buenconsejo, Auggie Fontanilla |
ABOUT
Soil of Cultures is a collective of artists, cultural workers, community organisers, growers and land stewards based in Whangārei. Their aim is to promote food sovereignty, support local food movements in Aotearoa New Zealand, and address the root causes of injustice in the current food system through collective action, storytelling and art.
Soil of Cultures’ mission at the grassroots level is to grow an abundance of culturally-appropriate food using the principles of agroecology and the lens of creative imagination. They co-create participatory workshops, community exhibitions and educational programs, guided by the knowledge and voices of marginalised communities, advancing their collective journey towards healing, liberation and ecological survival.
The idea for their collective began in 2020 when husband and wife team Charles Buenconsejo and Grace Bariso-Buenconsejo established a community-focused creative arts and gardening project called Open Homes that shared food, agroecology gardening knowledge and creativity from an urban garden in New Lynn, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. They also brought in their long-time friend and collaborator Auggie Fontanilla to help with the branding and imagery. Open Homes challenged the politics of food production and showcased the power of the collective and community care in urban environments. This project culminated in an exhibition at All Goods gallery in Avondale 2021 before concluding. The collective then relocated to Whangārei. In 2023, Buenconsejo, Bariso-Buenconsejo and Fontanilla established Soil of Cultures and became its core team members.
Their projects for 2023 have included a paid mentorship programme for Asian migrants based in Whangārei called Back to the Roots, the aim of which is to revitalise cultural food, stories and myths through garden cultivation, knowledge sharing and celebrating bio-cultural diversity. They also gave a presentation at the Climate Action Te Tai Tokerau Conference 2023 with Dr. Carol Peters (Whangarei District Councillor, social and environmental activist and the founder of Whakaora Kai: Food Rescue Northland) exploring how backyard gardening in Whangārei can become a space for cultivating resilience, abundance and nourishment for local families during uncertain times.
LINKS
Key works / presentations
2023 – Back to the Roots mentorship programme
2023 – Climate Action Tai Tokerau Conference, Whangārei
2020-2021 – Open Homes, New Lynn, Tāmaki Makaurau
