Healing the Land 

Healing the land reflects upon the traditional farming method in Iceland, through a short film, this project suggests a way of reshaping this tradition towards a future ritual where the sheep become part of the landscape’s soil.

The traditional farming method in Iceland where sheep roam freely causes severe soil erosion, changing the landscape into a desert. Nowadays 800.000 sheep roam and graze freely over the island each summer. The sheep are not restricted to a fenced grazing ara, making them graze  limitless over the whole islands’s surface. The sheep grazing everywhere prevents trees from growing back, making the woodland continuously decline. The lack of vegetation creates loose soil, and this in combination with Iceland’s strong winds, lead to severe soil erosion. There are simply no roots to keep the soil together when strong winds dominate the land.

Healing the Land reflects upon this traditional farming technique which is embedded into the Icelandic culture. By seeing the soil improving qualities of the sheep’s wool and bones, this project suggests a way of reshaping the tradition without losing the importance of respecting the sheep.