What relationship does gastronomy have with art? Beyond the brushstrokes visible on the surface, the links between the two universes are sometimes perceptible. From today, they come even closer, with the opening of the first contemporary culinary art gallery that has chosen the emerging district of Carabanchel to open its doors.
It is about MORPH Gallerythe first space (in the world) dedicated exclusively to contemporary culinary art. Behind this innovative project, which seeks to promote cooking as an art in its own right, hides ASuárez and Lisandro Illa sesina.
Excited and somewhat nervous, accompanied by a group of selected artists, they inaugurate this Friday September 27 NUMBER I: Collective exhibitionhis first exhibition with a clear ambition: to erase the boundaries between what we consider art and what we understand as food.
MORFO Gallery.
Its name is a declaration of intentions chosen for its great symbolism. “Derived from Greek, it means shape. In addition, in Argentinian slang, morph means to eat and its etymology comes from the Italian morpha, which means mouth,” explains the project. “With MORFO Galeria we arrive at rethink the way the culinary art is approachedthe way it is framed, the way it is consumed and finally the way it is presented to the public,” they indicate.
The art itself in the soup
With more than 150 square meters of surface area spread over three different floors with open spaces, MORFO presents itself as a interdisciplinary space where different artistic expressions meet which have food and gastronomy as their axis.
MORFO space.
Culinary artist Lisandro Illa, who forged his career not only in the world of art but also in that of gastronomy -passed by famous places like NOMA, in Copenhagen– and textile artist, curator and artistic director Asesina Suárez have brought together a group of artists who are not limited to a single technique or format.
“We wanted to start a culinary project, but after my bad experience in the kitchen, because of the demands and pressure, we exclude the opening of a restaurant“explains Illa, who, with her partner, with whom she will soon start a family, made unite your two passions.
From sculptures and paintings to installations, performances and research, this space welcomes a wide spectrum of media with an emphasis always on the culinary. Its mission is assert the value of culinary art as a legitimate form of artistic creationwith the same relevance as painting, sculpture or video art.
NUMBER I: Collective exhibition
Nicolás Romero Escalada and his meta-banquet under construction.
In the group exhibition unveiled to the public today, 11 artists participate, exploring the convergence between art and haute cuisine. Among the disciplines present in the exhibition, painting, muralism, glass, illustration and performance stand out. Each represented by Agustina Ros, Alberto Menéndez Cué, Clara Cebrian, Dalila Virgolini, Josefina Sierra Guzmán, Laura Campo de Luna, Lisandro Illa, Fernanda Kusel Paloma Mariné, Santiago Paredes and Nicolás Romero Escalada.
The poster of the artists participating in NUMÉRO I.
Escalada, also known as “Ever Siempre”, was commissioned to carry out, in collaboration with Illa, a projecteta-banquet which represents a culinary-performative experience where the act of eating is elevated to a conceptual and artistic level and promises to be one of the most anticipated moments of the night.
The two Argentinians were responsible for organizing the same banquet, which took on the appearance of experience a still life and a mural which represents him in his image, faithful to the style with which Escalada usually works.
Nicolás Romero Escalada, aka Ever Siempre, before his meta-banquet.
In addition to this immersive experience, the space will also host various activations and surprises, consolidating its commitment to participatory and experimental art.
Carabanchel, epicenter of contemporary art
This exhibition can be enjoyed for three months. Thereafter, the frequency between one sample and another will be approximately two months. Located on Esteban de Arteaga street, MORFO fits into an environment in which Carabanchel has ceased to be a peripheral district to become a hotbed of new artistic and cultural proposals (and a new victim of gentrification).
The choice of this place is not accidental. Carabanchel has forged its identity as one of the centers of the avant-garde in Madrid, welcoming emerging artists and consolidating their alternative and cosmopolitan character.
Up to 11 artists collect their works in MORFO.
With MORFO, the neighborhood consolidates itself not only as a destination for contemporary art lovers, but also for those interested in the intersection between cuisine and artistic creation. In a world where gastronomy has acquired unprecedented importance, the appearance of a gallery like this responds to a growing demand: that of experiencing food not only as a fundamental needbut as a cultural act.
