By Courtesy of Superblue
Every December, the art world heads to Miami for its famous week dedicated to art. The occasion allows visitors to take in artistic performances rivaling one another in terms of originality. One such event looks to be particularly popular as it mixes art, gastronomy and virtual reality.
Every December, the art world heads to Miami for its famous week dedicated to art. The occasion allows visitors to take in artistic performances rivaling one another in terms of originality. One such event looks to be particularly popular as it mixes art, gastronomy and virtual reality.
The endeavor goes by the name Aerobanquets RMX and consists of an immersive experience created by artist Mattia Casalegno in collaboration with Michelin-starred chef Chintan Pandya. It offers foodies an opportunity to visualize taste through "mixed reality," the technology that allows a person to interact with the real world while viewing things that aren't there.
Mattia Casalegno and Chintan Pandya drew inspiration from F. T. Marinetti's 1932 publication "The Futurist Cookbook" to come up with a gastronomic experience in which textures and flavors seem to come alive. RMX Aerobanquets attendees are invited to sample a selection of figuratively named appetizers, conceptualized by Chintan Pandya. According to ARTnews, there's a "mousse of roasted hopes," "a pearl that tastes like the first time you ever bit your lip," and a tart that evokes the "whistle that the wind makes through a door lock on a cold autumn afternoon."
These dishes come to life with the help of the Meta Quest 2 VR headset worn by experience participants during the tasting. These devices propel them into a virtual universe in which they are guided by the voice of cookbook author and "Top Chef" personality Gail Simmons. During the meal they can also enjoy a soundtrack specially composed by Italian musician Martux_M for Aerobanquets RMX.
Confusing as it may be, this multi-sensory gastronomic experience aims to encourage consumers to look at what's on their plate from a different angle. "We currently live in a world where industrial farming, overfishing, chemical pollution and soil degradation are jeopardizing the livelihoods of millions by depleting the environment. We live in a culture where speed and economics come before health and quality. With this work I want to put a spotlight on our endangering practices and at the same time relish the joy of eating," said Mattia Casalegno.
The visual artist came up with the Aerobanquets RMX project in 2018 with a research grant from the Chronus Art Center. He unveiled it the same year in Shanghai in collaboration with chef Flavio G. Carestia, who runs Domenica restaurant in Amsterdam, before introducing it to American audiences at the James Beard House in New York. Collectors and art lovers can now discover it until December 4 at Superblue Miami, an experiential art venue created by the company of the same name.
