Common Grounds
Common Grounds is a European project supported by the Creative Europe program, bringing together artists, researchers, and local communities to address issues of urban and rural regeneration, led by a consortium of three partners — La Citadelle de Marseille (France), Gradoscope (Bulgaria), and Fundación RIA (Spain).
The project operates at the intersection of today’s ecological, democratic, and urban challenges. It aims to tackle soil pollution by exploring narratives and interdependent relationships within our green spaces, contributing to a renewed imagination of the living world. The project runs from late 2024 to mid-2026.
Three sites, three realities
Collaborations will be woven around three European sites facing soil pollution issues, engaging a diverse range of people and expertise.
La Citadelle de Marseille (France) – A former military site in the heart of the city, featuring over 3 hectares of green spaces left fallow. With three centuries of military history and urban development, the site now faces partially polluted soils. As it is gradually reactivated and opened to the public, questions arise about the future of its green spaces in a city center marked by significant disparities.
Stochna Gara, Sofia (Bulgaria) – A disused freight railway station in downtown Sofia, where the Gradoscope association, professionals, and residents are rethinking its uses and future. Its industrial past has impacted soil health, leaving areas partially polluted. This raises a critical question in the rehabilitation process: how can new uses be reimagined while considering soil pollution?
Froxán communal land community, Galicia (Spain) – A wooded area formerly home to mines dedicated to war munitions production, now closed. The forest has been cared for and maintained by the residents of the Galician village of Lousame for generations. Mining activities have affected not only the forest and soils but also the region’s socio-economic fabric. After a major wildfire in 2016 villagers, alongside the Barbanza Ecosocial Lab and Fundación RIA, are working together on forest regeneration while facing the potential reopening of mining operations.
Through artist residencies and collaborative work between ecologists, artists, mediators, residents, public authorities, and businesses, Common Grounds aims to contribute to the creation of new narratives and offer fresh perspectives on the role of soils in our contemporary societies.
Common Grounds is a project co-funded by the European Commission’s Creative Europe programme and supported by the Carasso Foundation
This communication reflects only the author's view, and the European Commission cannot be held responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains.
