Abstract:

My paper will focus on merging of Food Art in Installation Art. The lecture will address, performance, happenings, multimedia works, patronage, politics, ethics, ritual and documentation.

Installation art came to prominence in the 1970s but its roots can be identified in earlier works of Marcel Duchamp and his use of the “ready-made” and Kurt Schwitters' “Merz” art objects, rather than more traditional sculpture which places its focus on form. Early non-Western Installation Art included events staged by the Gutai group in Japan starting in 1954, influencing American installation pioneers like Allan Kaprow.

My paper will trace the genealogy of Food Art Installations in the late 20th century and early 21st century. Works of a number of contemporary artists including Marije Vogelzang, Ioli Kalliopi Sifakaki, Daniel Spoerri, Heide Hatry and Jennifer Rubell will be examined. The paper will explore the role “process” plays in participatory artwork that is a hybrid of food, performance art, installation, and happenings.

Installation Art combines the associations of display, collection, and the unpredictable nature of performance and theater. Upon entering the art space, the viewer becomes part of the artwork.

I will be creating a Food Art Installation in Valencia, Spain in conjunction with my paper. My “Food Art Installation” will be a collaborative workshop experience and have an overtly political theme. My installation will be temporary and requires the audience to take part with its construction. By its nature Installation Art is site-specific and impermanent. The location will influence the design and process of the building the installation. The "Food Art Installation" will cover a specific area on a floor with Necco Wafer® mosaic portraits of Generalísimo Francisco Franco y Bahamonde, and Richard Milhous Nixon.

In conclusion this paper will examine how Food Art Installations have engaged the contemporary art world. I will also explore whether the discipline of Food Art Installations can acquire a more critical position that retains longevity, history and achievements in mainstream art.