Moss on a leash. Time-lapse video of a bowl of fruit rotting. Larger-than-life worms squirming on a giant screen. I saw all of these at the DePaul Art Museum in Chicago as part of their current exhibit, Rooted in Soil (runs until April 26). Their timing is particularly apt, since 2015 is the International Year of Soils. Curated by Interim Museum Director Laura Fatemi and Assistant Professor of environmental studies Farrah Fatemi, Rooted in Soil presents “works by fifteen artists who parse the cycle of life and death, address crucial issues of soil degradation, and propose radically innovative solutions that combine leading scientific approaches and fresh artistic and philosophical perspectives” (from the exhibit program).

It’s not too late to go, if you’re near Chicago! As a teaser, here are some of the works I loved from the exhibit.