Grill-Art

Curated by Sue Irion and Dominique Mollet

Healthy, balanced, proper, resource-conserving nutrition is increasingly becoming a social issue. Organic labels and functional food are supposed to ensure that we keep our bodies in optimum condition; calories are counted as well as the right dosage and, alongside this, molecular cuisine is looking for new taste experiences. In contrast to all this controlled food preparation, barbecuing is becoming increasingly popular. As soon as the first rays of sunshine warm the air in spring, hordes of amateur chefs flock to the riverbanks and forests and set up their gas, wood or charcoal barbecues. Everything from fillets to charred sausages is grilled. Health and a balanced diet take center stage here, the food is fun, brings friends together and becomes a social highlight. It is reminiscent of a protest against sensible, sophisticated food, which may be better but lacks emotion; in other words, low culture versus high culture, an escape from an over-regulated world. The pleasure, opulence and joy of uninhibited eating have been lost and are provoking this counter-movement. The exhibition Grill-Art deals with this phenomenon, artistically exploring the theme of food, from opulent staging to molecular cuisine and the beginnings of food preparation, from the discovery of fire to barbecuing.