A Stone in the Stomach: A class as a work of art

Abstract

This document refers to a work in progress which takes part on a larger project entitled “The house for a man who wants to die dry”. The aforementioned house has several rooms, each with its own traits and corresponding artistic proposals. The division herein brought forth is the kitchen: “A stone in the stomach – a class as a work of art”. A tale to be told. In general terms, the investigation regards issues such as the symbiosis of human beings with nature, technology and territory. An artistic approach with anthropological dimensions, observing the components of cooperation and interaction between the different players of life: minerals, plants, animals and the not-yet-visible. The proposed work results from the reflection for an interactive artistic installation featuring the kitchen as a magnifying glass for degrowth, which seeks to expose the need for a coexistence agreement between animals of the human species and other species, as well as nature as a whole. An installation which is meant to stand as both a starting point for a performative class and an extended conversation about degrowth. Its materialization implies interaction with local resources (human and natural - existing autochthonous foodsand communities, among others). As an installation, the kitchen will encompass the use of visual elements embodied as diet charts, nutrient value charts for each species and food cartographies for different cuts of animal bodies, as well as infographics, videos, projections and virtual reality elements.