Seeds of Change: Demonstration Events Pioneering Agri-Food Solutions ○ HUNGRY ECOCITIES

As the first residency of HUNGRY ECOCITIES draws to a close, the 9 selected artists showcased the final stages of their Humanizing Technology Experiments (HTEs) in May through a vibrant series of Demonstration Events held in Turin, Rotterdam, Westland and Berlin, the homes of the mentoring design studios.

HTEs Demonstration Events

Far from the conventional confines of a museum or exhibition, the demonstration events aimed to exhibit the project’s progress and digital prototypes as dynamic works in progress. This approach fostered discussions on impact, uptake, and knowledge spillovers, stimulating conversations and forging new relationships.

These events featured a variety of formats, including Collaborative Working Sessions, a Prototyping Park, a Seminar, Networking Opportunities, an Intimate Dinner, and Gatherings. Each format not only highlighted the studios’ distinctive approaches to contemporary and future agri-food systems but also showcased the diverse scopes of the HTEs. Each experiment exemplified one of the three key experimentation directions of Hungry EcoCities, providing a comprehensive view of the project’s innovative reach.

Each event buzzed with exchanges of knowledge and experience among the artists, their mentors, and external experts in agriculture, design, arts, and technology. Participants delved into the innovations achieved, exploring potential avenues for growth and collaboration. The insights gained from the residency provided valuable perspectives to help the industry address challenges related to nutrition, sustainability, and inclusivity.

May 6th / 7th
TURIN: Collaborative Working Sessions

The inaugural showcase event unfolded in a lively fashion at the Carlo Ratti Associati (CRA) office in Turin, Italy, on May 6-7, 2024. Picture this: collaborative “working sessions” where three of the 9 visionary artists working under the “City+Farming Synergies” direction, rolled up their sleeves alongside their mentors to put the finishing touches on their residency projects.

The team engaged in in-depth discussions, exploring various intriguing factors that could impact plant well-being— the core of their collaboration with the scientists at Mendel. From symbiotic relationships with fungi to the effects of urban sounds and stress-inducing stimuli, they examined every angle in their quest for insights.

On the second day, a vibrant mix of external experts from academic research, landscape consultancy, and urban policy joined the conversation. Using the three HTEs as their jumping-off point, the panel sparked an energizing dialogue about current plant research and explored how these insights could drive innovation and impact in both business and society.

The feedback loop

From CRA’s standpoint, the demonstration event was a valuable communication tool that functioned like Hungry EcoCities’ feedback loop.

May 15th
ROTTERDAM / WESTLAND : Networking

Let’s Connect

The second cycle of demonstration events took place in the Netherlands with an emphasis on networking within the food sector itself. On Wednesday, May 15^th, Hungry EcoCities was the main topic of the Let’s Connect event at the World Horti Center; a center for innovating, connecting, inspiring and sharing knowledge together connected to Controlled Environmental Agriculture. Let’s Connect is powered by AVAG, InnovationQuarter, HortiHeroes, Dutch Greenhouse Delta and World Horti Center with more than 40 companies and experts attendants.

Rodolfo Groenewoud, the Technical Coordinator of Hungry EcoCities, kicked off the event with an insightful overview. He emphasized how the diverse experiments within Hungry EcoCities are interconnected through the processes of growing, creating value, presenting, and consuming food, showcasing the project’s cohesive approach. Groenewoud provided a brief explanation of the various Humanizing Technology Experiments, setting the stage for Bernat Cuní, who then took the floor to give a live demonstration of WTFood using freshly available tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers.

During the networking session, a demonstration setup allowed visitors to test and experience various digital prototypes firsthand. This hands-on interaction added significant value for both the visitors and the project, making the concepts tangible and relatable. By engaging directly with the prototypes, visitors gained a clearer understanding of how art-driven innovation and these types of projects can be relevant to the everyday business of the agri-food sector. These AI developments provided plenty of food for thought.

How can AI change our relationship with Food

The following day, we hosted a seminar on AI and Our Relationship with Food at Het Nieuwe Instituut, the Netherlands’ national museum for architecture, design, and digital culture. For this event, we curated a diverse guest list and opened attendance to the public, both in-person and via live stream. During the seminar, we presented five prototypes, with three artists on hand to showcase and explain their research and experimentation processes. This event highlighted our commitment to responsible food consumption and helped urban eaters better understand the journey of their food from farm and greenhouse to plate.

To demonstrate this stage of development, we discussed the achievements, wishlist items, and failures, providing an opportunity to assess and reflect on the project’s progress. Despite the projects being linked to various directions within Hungry EcoCities, they all address the principles of the Mega Scale condition and the ecomodernism discourse, whether through the way we eat, what we eat, or how we produce.

Everyone who lives in a city has a complicated relationship with food. It often comes from outside the city, making it unclear who was involved in its production and under what conditions. Finding alternatives can be challenging. To facilitate this discussion and acknowledge the fragile trust in the food system, the projects explored how AI can help us gain more control over our food.

Want to re-experience the event? Check out the live stream!

May 17th
BERLIN: Intimate gathering

The Prototyping Park Demonstration Event held at Studio Other Spaces in Berlin on May 17, 2024, was an intimate gathering where the artist groups IM-A Studio and Nonhuman Nonsense showcased their prototype projects for reshaping approaches to food sustainability.

The Hungry EcoCities artists-in-residence Katya Bryskina and Nataly Khadziakova of IM-A Studio and Linnea Våglund, Filips Staņislavskis and Leo Fidjeland of Nonhuman Nonsense spent a 9-month-residency mentored by Studio Other Spaces with the knowledge hub “Local Conditions” and presented their final prototypes in a two-part event.

First part

The first part was a small intimate dinner in the studio’s canteen space, where IM-A Studio presented Future Protein, a project that deals with novel ways of incorporating protein into our diets. Guests experienced a three-course-meal developed in collaboration with the Berlin-based restaurant Kin Dee which incorporated mussels in creative and new ways. While enjoying the dishes packed with mussel protein, one could browse the world map on a tablet and use the app IM-A Studio developed for choosing the perfect location to start one’s own mussel farm.

Second part

The dinner was followed by the second part of the event that took place in SOS’s event space for studio gatherings, where about 60 people – studio members and external guests – joined the artist collective Nonhuman Nonsense’s presentation of their project The Council of Foods, to watch the website designed and programmed by Nonhuman Nonsense give a banana, a corn cob, a potato, a piece of meat and a lollipop, among others, each a voice to enter into vibrant discussions about food system topics. By way of QR codes printed onto beer mats, guests could access the website themselves and prompt their own individual council discussions.

Successful ending

For Studio Other Spaces, both events marked a successful ending for an ambitious and productive collaboration. The evening event offered a perfect setting for all involved parties to experience and discuss all the hard work both artist studios have put into their projects.

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