July 23, 2019
Next month, Berlin Food Art Week 2019 will take place at Steinplatz, a public space in Charlottenburg near the University for the Arts (UdK). Through a series of installations, performances and workshops curated by artist, cookbook author and FAW founder Tainá Guedes, the program will focus on the precarious consumption cycles of water and how food production affects our water resources. The month-long event will present artworks in temporary greenhouses, built specifically for FAW, in an effort to stimulate an international dialogue on the subjects of food, art and sustainability.
Courtesy of Berlin Food Art Week
In addition to the events in public space at Steinplatz, there will be an exhibition entitled ‘WATER(PROOF),’ on view at MOMENTUM in the Kunstquartier Bethanien in Kreuzberg from August 10th to September 15th. The show will feature a wide range of international artists, alongside members of Mathilde ter Heijne’s class for performance and time-based media at UdK, for a global conversation on environmental threats to the future of water. In Janet Laurence’s glowing installation ‘H2O: Water Bar,’ a collection of glass vessels addresses the fragility and complexity of this vital resource, inviting visitors to taste rain and spring water from diverse locations in Germany.
Janet Laurence: ‘H2O: Water Bar’ // Courtesy of Tainá Guedes
In her video ‘Transoxiana Dreams,’ Almagul Menlibayeva, the artist and photographer responsible for this year’s striking FAW water campaign, leads viewers on a journey through the desertification of the Aral Sea, once a thriving fishing region in Kazakhstan. Following a fisherman’s search for the remaining water sources and his daughter’s childlike perspective on the environmental changes taking place, the video combines fantastic imagery with documentary footage in a landscape that appears otherworldly.
Almagul Menlibayeva: Transoxiana Dreams’, video still // Courtesy AEAALLC
Almagul Menlibayeva: Transoxiana Dreams’, video still // Courtesy AEAALLC
The artworks on display in ‘WATER(PROOF)’ intend to illustrate how our lifestyles are negatively impacting the planet and aim to raise questions about how to sustainably manage our fresh water resources. In conjunction with the exhibition, on Saturday, August 17th, at the FAW Summer Water Party at Steinplatz, artist Ivona Pelajic will conduct painting workshops using watercolors made out of fruits and vegetables. This special event will be followed by art and music performances inspired by water, a panel discussion and information booths from environmental organizations interested in water preservation. Sustainable food and drinks will be provided by food trucks in partnership with Markthalle Neun and Bite Club.
Almagul Menlibayeva: ‘Food Art Week Water Campaign’, 2019 // Courtesy of Tainá Guedes
Questions that will be addressed during Berlin Food Art Week 2019 include: how much water is needed to produce our food? How much do pesticides, antibiotics and plastics contaminate our water? What role does the food industry play in polluting our water sources? How is water distributed around the world? And finally, what can we, as individuals, do to save and preserve water?
Exhibition Info
MOMENTUM
Group Show: ‘WATER(PROOF)’
Exhibition: Aug. 10 – Sept. 15, 2019
Kunstquartier Bethanien, Mariannenplatz 2, 10997 Berlin, click here for map
Event Info
BERLIN FOOD ART WEEK
FAW 2019: Aug. 01-31, 2019
FAW Summer Water Party: Saturday, Aug. 17; 12-9pm
Steinplatz, 10623 Berlin, click here for map
