XILT: The Politics of Material and Sediments

This podcast series is an extension of the discursive space of the exhibition Sediment (curated by Dicle Beştaş & Başak Şenova), which raises questions about the social politics of ecology. The Sediment exhibition was on view at Rotor Center for Contemporary Art, an art institution in Graz, from November 2024 to February 2025. Throughout the exhibition, a parallel program featuring film screenings, artist talks, and workshops accompanied the show, aiming to engage with the diverse and vibrant communities of Graz. Now, in collaboration with Radio Helsinki and <rotor>, Sediment continues its journey—this time, as sound waves!

Sediment: The Echo of Coexistence delves into these themes and narratives, featuring contributions from researchers based in Graz. Each episode examines the ecological, social, and political dimensions shaping contemporary art discourse, along with collaborative artistic and curatorial approaches.

In This Episode: XILT: The Politics of Material and Sediments Barbara Schmid shares her artistic research, in which she casts the roots of plants in ceramic and glazes them with plant ash, which binds the pollutants absorbed from the soil. In her work Sediment, Schmid uses crushed building rubble to create a ceramic carpet.

In a collaborative dialogue with Kada, the Director of Prizes, Scholarships, and Studio Programs at the Steiermärkische Landesregierung, this recording delves into Schmid’s artistic practice and discursive approach. The interview explores the materials she gathered during her stay in Diyarbakır in the summer of 2024, focusing on locations damaged by the 2023 earthquake and the 2015-2016 hostilities, as seen through the lens of art. The conversation also touches on artistic and curatorial perspectives, offering insights into their creative processes and interactions within social and ecological contexts.

Prepared by: Dicle Beştaş and İpek Yüksek

Hosted by: İpek Yüksek

Guests: Barbara Schmid, Christiane Kada

Music by local Graz band, Jaman Manaj