Dr Volcano & re-mediation

Volcanoes, urban fires, and bioremediation: a conversation with geologist Dr. Dave Budd

Throughout history, fire has plagued and shaped societies -cities and their inhabitants, human, and more-than-human alike. It looms as an ever-present force, capable of destruction, transformation, and regrowth. When a city burns, when the familiar goes up in smoke, a void is left behind as a blank slate for new ideas, public spaces, and architecture. But who holds the power to decide what will take shape from the ashes?

This evening, we find ourselves at Lövholmen, a former industrial site in Stockholm, on the cusp of redevelopment. Once home to factories and heavy industry, the area is now marked by its past -a burnt-down carbonic acid factory stands as a reminder of fire’s transformative force.

It’s a Wednesday in late September. Inside a room at Färgfabriken, repurposed as an exhibition space, a gathering is taking place. Around an artificial bonfire -logs arranged atop a flickering orange lamp, with a speaker emitting soft crackling sounds, spirits and people are gathered. The atmosphere is warm, filled with quiet murmurs and the gentle hum of audio equipment.

This is the scene of a live broadcast of Public Retreat Radio, a program exploring the theme of fire through stories, essays, eclectic music, field recordings, monologues, and theater readings. The broadcast has been playing for some time, blending voices and sounds into the air.

At this moment, an interview is about to unfold. Three figures are seated on logs around the bonfire, their faces illuminated by the glow of the faux flames. Off to the side, another figure works the controls of a large sound mixer, headphones on, fine-tuning the balance of the broadcast. The room is alive with the subtle noises of movement; shuffling, the creak of a chair, and the occasional rustle of paper.

Someone stands and steps away from the circle, replaced by another who settles onto a stool by the fire. A faint ‘thump’ echoes as the microphone is adjusted to the height of geologist Dave Budd, a doctor on volcanoes turned expert in remediation of industrial soil.

The interview begins.

Listen to the full story:

As the conversation continues, the voices blend into the crackle of the artificial fire. Outside, the industrial remains of Lövholmen stand silent in the night, their future unknown, but for now, the stories here, both real and imagined, carry on.