Pray for Beans is a video installation, experimental cookbook, and dinner series about 4 distinct food futures:
1) Community Meat Lab
2) Pray for Beans
3) BioConscriptions
4) MycoAlchemy
EXHIBITION
Each of the four food futures and associated recipes we imagine in this project emphasize a slightly different set of biotechnologies and agricultural biodiversities than the food system we have today. The future scenarios we present are not predictions of what will happen, but are tools for imagining how various individuals, organizations and governments might initiate and react to changes in the composition of the food system. The dinner series is a chance to prototype, taste and debate these food futures.
PROCESS
From January to May 2012 the Center worked with scientists from the Netherlands Consortium for Healthy Ageing, who were just starting a new research project called Growing Old Together.
In the Growing Old Together study, human subjects were required to eat less and exercise more. The NCHA scientists aimed to measure the results of these lifestyle changes, also taking into account the genetic diversity of the patients. The NCHA are interested in researching the genetic diversity of individuals. The Center for Genomic Gastronomy proposed to look at the diversity of the food system these individuals live within, and how it might change in the future.
While in the Netherlands, we investigated both local and global food histories and current food trends. We met with food scientists, nutritionists, chefs and families. These experiences informed the development and final form of our da4ga project.
Eat Less, Live More, and Pray For Beans was supported by the Designers and Artists for Genomics Award.
——–
ABOUT DA4GA / BAD Award
The Designers & Artists 4 Genomics Award (renamed the BAD Award) highlights and explores the exciting and novel possibilities between design, artistic practice and life sciences. Conceived by the Netherlands Genomics Initiative, the Centre for Society and Genomics, and Waag Society, the Designers & Artists 4 Genomics Award aims to stimulate emerging designers and artists to delve into the world of bio-art, and produce new work in close collaboration with the Netherlands most prestigious Genomics Centres, for example in the fields of sustainability, food, health, bio- informatics, agriculture, and safety.
——–
SEE ALSO
Book: Eat Less, Live More & Pray for Beans
Supper Club Leiden
Beta Taster Amsterdam