Food

Every day we bite, chew, swallow and excrete. The feeling of tightness in the oesophagus, stomach pain or hunger accompanies us at each step. Food has a powerful influence on our lives, it affects our body and mind. Not surprisingly, it has also been a recurring motif in art for centuries. But in 2022 — in post-pandemic times of war, recession, rampant inflation, the threat of food shortages in the shops in the next six months, rising gas and electricity prices — it takes on even greater significance. That is why we have decided to dedicate this issue of the magazine to food. In this issue, we have prepared a real feast for you — come join us at the table.

Our reflections are captured symbolically in two covers designed and handcrafted especially for us by illustrator Igor Kubik. The choice is either a banana or an apple. The cover makes you reflect on eating habits and the way food is displayed. We would like you to focus on this matter, because every visit to the grocery shop, no matter where it is located, is an encounter with the absurdity of packaging fruit and vegetables in plastic — even individual pieces.

In the articles that follow, we explore the issue’s main theme in more depth. Jennifer Rubell tells us about her journey from cooking school to critical art. With last year’s Turner Prize nomineesCooking Sections, we dive into the waters of salmon farming in Scotland. We discover the art of Rirkrit Tiravanija and his installations, which often take the form of stages or rooms for communal eating, cooking, reading or music. Speaking of multi-sensory experiences, it’s worth reading our interview with Felix Barrett, founder and artistic director of the extraordinary theatre company Punchdrunk.

In this issue you will also find articles on food poverty, food insecurity and food porn take a critical approach to food in visual art. The essay section closes with a philosophical text based on an analysis of several film documentaries. It explores the human species’ compulsion to eat meat as a litmus test of our predatory and darkest psychological traits.

You can also try other perspectives on the world around us in articles about design and get inspired by the most beautiful kitchen and dining room designs. You can read about the edible fashion trend and apps that help reduce food waste. Together, we look at the problem of watershortage and how to overcome it.

At the end of this issue, you will find two recipes from: ‘Kitchen Conversations Cookbook: Homemade Recipes from Artists’ by Patrycja Rozwora and published by Contemporary Lynx Publishing.

Inside the magazine, you will also find articles about:

• Art schools and if we need them to ‘survive’ the art world;
• Extraoridinary Collezione Taurisano;
• The challenges of contemporary food packaging design;
• Anish Kapoor;
• Mathilde Bretillot and Jill Silverman van Coenegrachts’ studio visit in Paris;