But First We Eat Melbourne Design Week 2019

Concept and Curation By Fluff Corp. Part of Melbourne Design Week 2019, an initiative of the Victorian Government in collaboration with the National Gallery of Victoria.

This exhibition featured the work of 8 Designers:

Jia Jia Chen • Claire Lehmann • Claudia Lau • Alison Frith • Andrei Davidoff • Tessy King • Tobias Bolton • Kate Jones

We held 6 public dinner parties for 155 people alongside an exhibition, from March 14 - April 4, 2019
at Long Division Gallery, Schoolhouse Studios, 81 Rupert St Collingwood, Melbourne.

More detailed description of the rationale and events below pics on this page.

All photos by Kitty Wursthorn.

Concept

In this age of digital hyper-connectivity and increasing social isolation, instead of looking toward future design and technology, our focus is the historic importance of feasting and communal eating for social connectivity. Referencing the long, intimate history between ceramic design and food; staged ceremonial dinners of locally sourced produce showcased the ancient technique of baking food encased in clay alongside the contemporary work of six local ceramic designers and one furniture maker. After each dinner party the dining setting was refreshed and opened as an exhibition.

Exhibition

Using the dining room as a thematic focus, we investigated the symbiotic relationship between design and food through a series of immersive dining events.

In parallel to architectural focuses on communal dwelling, the dinner parties emphasised the importance of communal eating and reference the historic role of feasting. We will contextualised the fundamental role of ceramic materials in the dining experience by using an ancient cooking technique which utilised clay in one of it’s earliest food preparation roles; baking food encased in clay.

This method of cooking first originated in China, known as ‘Beggars Chicken’, and was subsequently discovered in various guises around the world. The dining setting displayed a curated selection of ceramic work, and the clay baked food forged the centrepiece running down the length of the table. Clay wrapped foods were sculpted into abstract and textural forms that highlighted the materials earthy origins, referencing rocky terrains found in nature. Guests were provided with tools to break open the handmade exterior to reveal the edible interior, which remained a mystery until the act of destruction.

All food was sourced, locally, ethically and sustainably from small-batch farmers and artisanal producers. This exhibition aims to incorporate the past/present/future, invite self-inquiry on how food is served and shared, and what that says about the design of our everyday lives.

As part of the discussion about the role of the individual and the handmade in design, all visitors to the exhibition were offered an opportunity to participate by decorating their own ceramic cup which they could collect at the end of the exhibition.

Conceptual Background

In reflecting on the future direction of our society we recognise that even as we rely more heavily on technology, the basic needs of food, shelter and connection remain unchanged. Our current digital age has brought about an ironic predicament, instead of feeling integrated within a global community, there’s been a marked increase of loneliness and social isolation.

The anthropology of food shows us that eating is not only fundamental for pleasure, survival and nutrition but is also an essential medium for social connectivity and plays and important role in shaping individual and cultural expression. Our emotional response to food is rooted deep within our memories.

The preparation and sharing of food has always necessitated design, specifically ceramics. Early ceramic design spoke of basic survival needs by allowing food to be broken down into more digestible protein-rich forms, whilst also being utilised for serving and storage. As technological developments progressed, the mass production of ceramics became ubiquitous, with fabricated objects showing minimal signs of their origins.

The recent cultural swing back to hand made and DIY speaks of a longing for a more elemental sensory experience. Global trends suggest that technological change is causing reconsideration of our core values and that connection and meaning are becoming more important. Increasingly we now desire more than beauty and function from our objects, we want tactile engagement and tangible associations. Handmade objects offer meaning, they embody a terroir; telling a story of place, material and of the maker.

In tandem, the concurrent slow food movement also evidences this shift towards conscientious consumerism. Instead of looking toward future materials and technologies we want to contemplate our long and intimate history with ceramic design, food and communal eating within the domestic dining setting.