On Thursday April 4 and Friday April 5, the University of Gastronomic Sciences will stage “Food, Philosophy and Art – Cibo, Filosofia e Arte – Convergence Pollenzo”, an international conference in which speakers will discuss, debate and explore the relationship between food and art, viewing food and cuisine through the lenses of aesthetics and philosophy.
For the first time an attempt will be made to answer the question “Can food be art?”, discussing this and other matters — in-depth and performatively — through a trans-disciplinary exchange among cooks and chefs, philosophers and semiologists, students and artists, researchers and enthusiasts.
The subjects addressed will encompass not only the creative ability of cooks and chefs, but also the very principles of art in the era of technical reproducibility, images and the aestheticization of everyday life. What kind of art goes with cuisine? Is there natural art in food? How important is the relationship between aesthetics and ethics for the gastronomic experience? What is the relationship between image, sound and taste?
Speakers will include the American philosopher Richard Shusterman, the founder of somaesthetics and author of Pragmatist Aesthetics; the German philosopher Harald Lemke, author of Die Kunst des Essens (Eat Art); the semiologist Paolo Fabbri, a lecturer at numerous Italian and foreign universities, including IULM in Milan and Luiss in Rome; the semiologist Gianfranco Marrone, a lecturer at the University of Palermo; the entrepreneur Oscar Farinetti, founder of Eataly; Daniel Patterson, chef at the Coi restaurant in San Francisco; Massimo Bottura, chef at the Osteria Francescana in Modena; Davide Scabin, chef at the Combal.Zero restaurant in Rivoli; the journalist and food writer Andrea Petrini, creative director of the “Cook It Raw!” project; the musician Roy Paci; and the artist Andrea Salvetti.
The conference, organized by Prof. Nicola Perullo, lecturer in the Aesthetics and Philosophy of Taste, with the help of a group of UNISG students, will adopt an innovative interactive formula involving three types of activity:
– 30-minute morning lectures;
– short 15-minute talks by experts and participants;
– afternoon workshops involving experts, students and guests with screenings and audiovisuals.
On the Thursday, artist Andrea Salvetti will exhibit “Fire Sculptures – An edible piece of art”.
The conference will thus transcend frontal communication to embrace interaction between different competences and perspectives, setting out from art to become a think tank on our understanding of food today.
Speakers and participants by order of intervention:
- Piercarlo Grimaldi, dean of the University of Gastronomic Sciences
- Carlo Petrini, president of the University of Gastronomic Sciences
- Nicola Perullo, philosopher and lecturer at the University Gastronomic Sciences
- Richard Shusterman, philosopher
- Massimo Bottura, chef
- Harald Lemke, philosopher
- Daniel Patterson, chef
- Tiziana Andina, philosopher
- Carola Barbero, philosopher
- Robert Valgenti, philosopher
- Andrea Borghini, philosopher
- Marcello Arcangeli, Training Center Lavazza
- Alessandra Bianco, Public Relations Lavazza
- Eleonora Cozzella, journalist and food writer
- Norbert Niederkofler, chef
- Andrea Salvetti, artist
- Oscar Farinetti, entrepreneur and deviser of Eataly
- Paolo Fabbri, semiologist
- Ryan Bromley, chef and researcher
- Andrea Petrini, journalist and food writer
- Davide Scabin, chef
- Gianfranco Marrone, semiologist
- Delfo Cecchi, philosopher
- Dario Mangano, semiologist
- Bob Noto, gastronome
- Roy Paci, musician
Organized by Nicola Perullo in collaboration with students of the University of Gastronomic Sciences: Daniela Bieder, Maria Cobo, Emanuel Lobeck, Charlotte Maverly, Leora Meidan, Myram Pinkas, Alessia Rossino, Sebastian Sardo.