+ WTFOOD

Unmasking the glitches in our Food System

WTFood* is a user tool to explore food system glitches and learn about the actors working on solving these glitches. Primarily it is a tool to improve consumer awareness of food system glitches and learn about the farmers, the NGOs, and other initiatives working on them.

*started as Food Dysmorphia

INNOVATION RELEVANCE

Improving consumer awareness of food system challenges (nicely called ‘glitches’ by the artist) and who is working on them is the goal of WTFood. Most consumers have limited knowledge about how their food is produced, processed, and distributed. Therefore, they do not know whether agricultural practices were sustainable, whether animal welfare was considered, what the environmental impact of their choices is, how people are treated, etc. Bridging these knowledge gaps is crucial to enable informed decision making: with better awareness, consumers do make more informed decisions about the food they buy and consume, driving demand for more sustainable and ethical food products.

There are several approaches to work on addressing this knowledge gap. Improving food education in schools is one, clear and transparent labelling is another. Public campaigns can help, as does increased media coverage. Finally, initiatives to connect consumers directly with farmers and food producers is seen as a good approach. WTFood aims to contribute to this approach: allowing consumers in supermarkets to connect directly with farmers, NGO’s and other initiatives working on addressing food system glitches and get informed or even empowered.

WHAT DOES IT DO

It works like an exploration map, with a website where the map grows when people use the APP in a supermarket to photograph a food. By doing this, the image morphs, text gets created and local initiatives working on this glitch for this food are sought by the AI system. All simultaneously. Within 30 seconds, the user is rewarded with a movie clip, a short statement text, and a list of links to relevant initiatives in their direct environment. The system has been fully developed and the website is operational. Hence, the tool is ready to be used.

ART RELEVANCE

Bernat Cuní‘s “WTFood” transforms smartphones into portals revealing hidden realities of our food system. As produce morphs into glitchy metaphors on-screen, it exposes socioeconomic fissures beneath the supermarket’s polished veneer. These digital distortions represent unseen workers, struggling local stores, and wasteful overproduction. More than exposing issues, “WTFood” catalyses change, connecting users to local initiatives fixing these systemic glitches. With each use offering new perspectives, it challenges us to see beyond marketing narratives, questioning our role in the food ecosystem. “WTFood” isn’t just an app—it’s a mirror, megaphone, and mobilizing force for urban food revolution. At the same time, it is an ever-evolving morphing map and interactive sorting set-up, that could be part of an installation.

TEAM

Artist: Bernat Cuní

Studio: EatThis

Art-driven innovation: In4Art

Science: Brno University of Technology

The HungryEcoCities project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement 101069990.