Masha Ru
Geophagy is the practice of eating earth or soil-like substrates. In a number of countries this is considered a common cultural, spiritual and healing practice, while in Europe and USA, it is officially regarded as a psychological disorder known as ‘pica.’ Masha, together with Arie Syarifunddin and Atelier NL, investigates the possibility of eating local clay in the Netherlands, while conducting a chemical analysis of the clay in a laboratory. In 2013, she awoke the curiosity of many visitors by producing a series of edible ceramic cups and inviting people to try eating clay and share their experience. Masha will also bring some cups for you to taste.
Another important aspect is spirituality. The importance of touching or eating earth is present in many cultures. In Suriname during typical Winti-Rituals clay known as pimba is put on the skin and eaten to call for the spirits. Those rituals also take place in Amsterdam. Those rituals and beliefs have as well a scientific explanation. It is shown that skin contact with those bacteria, such as Mycobacterium vaccae, triggers the release of seratonin, which elevates mood and decreases anxiety.
Giulia Soldati
Giulia will present her latest project Contatto. Contatto is a new culinary culture that advocates a change in the current culture of food, challenging the existing one, which neglects essential sensorial experiences. Contatto provides a new approach to the materiality of food, proposing new ways of preparing and consuming food. Aiming to get to the essence of the human-food relationship at its most genuine level, Contatto removes by an action of subtraction ‘unnecessary mediating components.’ Instead, preparation and consumption focus on the hand, extending taste to the realm of touch. An intimate gesture between the ‘toucher’ (the chef) and the ‘taster,’ an asking-giving ritual, generating new gestures, new etiquettes and a new vocabulary, challenging the existing ones.
Guilia will invite a few people from the audience to participate in a tactile eating performance.
Vita Stasiukynaite
Vita recently graduated from the Fashion department at Gerrit Rietveld Academy. Currently she is working towards a new collection, which shall be presented end of July. The collection is inspired by unusually shaped fruits, roots and vegetables, which most of the time are called odd or ugly and perceived as something strange and inedible. But upon closer inspection they reveal an incredible variety of colours, curves, contours and taste.
With this in mind she designed a collection of men's suits which break the ethical rules that say how a suit should be worn.
Information
Biotalk
Thursday April 21
Food from 18:00, talks at 20:30
Mediamatic Biotoop , Dijkspark 6 Amsterdam
Tickets: Students €5,- */ Pre-sale €7,50 / Door: €10,-
*please bring your student card to the ticketservice
Pssst. Get discount on our Pizza Rosso/Nero, for €10 instead of €13 showing your Biotalk ticket.
