Fertiliser Rehab
Fertiliser Rehab
A speculative exploration of post-fertiliser rehabilitationPhosphorus is an essential element for all living beings and also one of three main components of synthetic fertilisers current agriculture depends on. Prior to human intervention, wild plants developed strategies to secure this scarce nutrient, such as evolving extensive root systems or excreting chemicals to liberate it from the soil. Assuming continuing abundance of synthetic fertilisers and easy access to phosphorus, these abilities were traded in by breeders for fast growth in many cultivars. However, phosphate rock, the primary source of phosphorus, is a finite resource. It took 10-15 million years to form and extraction is currently reaching its limits, with the maximum extraction rate - peak phosphorus - estimated in 2030.
The Fertiliser Rehab is a fictitious service set in post peak phosphorus times, exploring possible experimentations with plants' properties, as well as sourcing phosphorus elsewhere in times of its unavailability.
Inside Fertiliser Rehab
Services we offerAt Fertiliser Rehab plants recover from their addiction and break free from the cycle of growth for growth's sake introduced at the expense of essential, life-sustaining functions. When performing alchemical experiments, a parallel process takes place through the person who performs them.
The service offers:
- Controlled procedures in scientific environment mixed with alchemical experiments
- Enabling spontaneous processes occurring in nature, such as plant hybridisation without creating hierarchies
- Research articulated using a combination of alchemical symbolism and the currently standardised scientific form of peer-reviewed journals and speculation
Inside Fertiliser Rehab
Equiment & ToolsHow are we navigating phosphorus shortage in our service?
- Root experimentation stationSupported by peer-reviewed journals and speculations based on recent research
- Urine recycling stationSupported by the findings of Alchemist Henning Brandt in 1669
Phosphate & Fertiliser
Together with nitrogen and potassium, phosphorus is one of three main components of NPK fertiliser. Industrial agriculture relies on overuse of fertilisers and current plant cultivars depend on this input, because they were designed for, and bread in well-fertilised soils that didn’t require plants to spend energy to develop strategies for securing an adequate supply of phosphates. At the same time, only up to 25% of applied phosphorus through fertilisers is used by the plants. The rest remains in soil, from where it is mostly washed into freshwater, causing further pollution and algal blooms.
Fertiliser overuse
Tyvek bag, printed
The amounts of industrial fertiliser overuse vary based on the region. EU applies 4kg of Phosphorus on each 1kg of food. For the same 1kg of food the USA applies 9 kg of Phosphorus, and China up to 13 kg.
It is suggested that, in places with long histories of phosphorus overuse, like the U.K., crops can thrive for 10 years or more on the stores built up in the ground.
Phosphorus Around Us
Click to explore these common objects containing phosphorusUrine
Phosphorus was discovered in 1669 by alchemist Hennig Brand, while seeking the so-called philosopher's stone. Brand separated the element after boiling repeatedly large amounts of urine. Humans consume more phosphorus than they need each year, which is eventually excreted as urine and faeces. Many contemporary alternative fertilisers utilise recycled human urine.
Peak Phosphorus
Phosphate rock is a finite resource of phosphorus, an essential element for living beings and one of three main components of industrial fertilisers. The resource took 10 - 15 million years to form and the extraction of phosphate rock is currently reaching its limits. Peak phosphorus, the point of maximum rate of extraction, is supposed to occur in 2030.
Imagining post Peak Phosphorus Landscapes:
Calendar, 13 machine learning generated images printed on paperA component of the Fertiliser Rehab installation, the calendar features artificial landscape images generated by Machine Learning through StyleGan from photos of both abandoned as well as operating phosphate rock mines all over the world to create ambiguous phosphate landscapes. This can be used for marking appointments by viewers. The year 2050 refers to the time of unavailability of phosphate rock reserves.
Authors
Hana Komanová
Hana Komanová is a biodesigner, researching textile & material lifecycles and their impact on soil health through decomposition. Her work applies biological processes into design practices.
Karolína Žižková
Karolína Žižková is an environmental anthropologist interested in mining, land use and its ownership. Using a political ecology perspective, her focuses are discourses and power structures related to those topics.
Credits
This project was developed as part of the Inspiration Forum LAB organized by Ji.hlava IDFF’s Inspiration Forum and Display - Association for Research and Collective Practice.
The Inspiration Forum LAB was supported by the European Cultural Foundation.
Program Tutors: Zbyněk Baladrán, Lenka Hámošová, Lukáš LikavčanProgram Coordinator: Iveta ČernáHead of Inspiration Forum: Tereza Swadoschová