Smog tasting

Taste the air!

The first accompanying event of the exhibition MENÜ is the presentation of the Center for Genomic Gastronomy’s creative air-pollution measuring project Smog Tasting, running since 2011 and recently having been realised in Hungary. The interactive online event will be the first presentation of the air collected from three Hungarian locations in the form of meringues, which we will taste after the introductions of the Center for Genomic Gastronomy (in English), Clean Air Action Group and Green Connection Association, analysing them together with participating volunteers, the audience and the curators of the exhibition.

Air ‘harvested’ from sites with high air pollution data is visualised in the form of a meringue, making the air quality of the area, the city or the country tastable, palpable through the mouth. Egg foams are up to 90% air, and whipping the egg whites causes particulate matter to be trapped in the batter, creating a physical archive of air. The batter can be tested for heavy metals and VOCs, compared in a microscope or baked and served as trojan horse sweets.

The Center for Genomic Gastronomy has presented the project in New York, Washington, Bengaluru and Hong Kong and has harvested the air of Beijing, Barcelona, London, Perth, Porto and Mumbai. The Hungarian samples have been collected at Blaha Lujza square in Budapest, close to the MENÜ imaginaire exhibition, at the Normafa public forest in Budapest and the Búza square in Miskolc, a smaller town which’s geological location and meteorological conditions result in especially high numbers in terms of air pollution. Air quality tests have been performed at each location, with the help of Clean Air Action Group and Green Connection Association.

The event will take place on Zoom and will not be streamed. Please register here: buroimaginaire@gmail.com

Registered members of the audience can pick up meringue boxes for the tasting at the location of the exhibition (Culinary Institute of Europe, Kővágó street 13.) free of charge on the 23rd of April, and on the 24th between 2-7pm as well. The meringues are part of a conceptual artwork, please consume them at your own risk. They contain eggs, salt, icing sugar and starch.

The project is realised in the framework of OFF Biennale 2021, as an accompanying event to the exhibition MENÜ imaginaire.

Further information: https://www.facebook.com/event...