Benedetta Ristori, You don’t need Soil to Grow, 2024

Berlin is a city characterised by its international population and gentrification. Inspired by sociologist Zygmunt Bauman’s concept of ‘liquid modernity’, Benedetta Ristori (IT) examines how contemporary society is defined by change and uncertainty.

You don’t need soil to grow shows how individuals, particularly expatriate women, find their identity and sense of belonging in a pre-existing urban fabric. Through intimate portraits taken in rigid urban spaces, Ristori captures the tension between these women’s freedom to reinvent themselves and their fleeting connection to the city. Despite the differences in their stories and motivations, a common thread is the courage to take risks and the ability to face challenges alone.

In parallel, Ristori’s project also focuses on the German Kleingärten (small gardens), which provide a refuge within the urban world. These communal green spaces, scattered throughout Berlin, represent stability and allow the individual to reconnect with the earth.

Ristori invites the reader to reflect on their own relationship with the places they inhabit. The title of the book, inspired by plants that thrive in concrete environments, highlights the theme of the project: living without a fixed foundation, much like the women portrayed in her photographs.

With You don’t need soil to grow, Ristori questions what it means to belong in an age where the only constant is change.