The project invites guests to connect to themselves while savouring a unique communal experience. Developed by Brazilian artist Rafaela Rocha, SynaesthEat encourages guests to embark on the sensorial / emotional journeys that can be triggered by food. Each edition sees the artist collaborating with a different chef to create a unique experience. So far SynaesthEat has been presented in Brazil, Ge
rmany, UK and India. Synaesthesia
/ˌsɪniːsˈθiːzɪə/
1. (physiol) a sensation experienced in a part of the body other than the part stimulated
2. (psychol) the subjective sensation of a sense other than the one being stimulated. For example, a sound may evoke sensations of colour
*Synaesthete: a person affected with synaesthesia
Where does eating actually begin? Is it only when food reaches our mouths? What characteristic, other than taste, affects the pleasure we derive from a meal? A big part of contemporary society views eating as one of those inconvenient, biological needs one has to quickly take care of, not giving it much thought and squeezing meals in between meetings, deadlines and emails or grabbing something on the go. In this search for “practicality”, our constantly future-oriented / outcome-focused selves have become detached from process. The extent to which we have handed over our nourishment responsibilities is alarming. In regards to processed food, what you see is usually quite far from what you get, yet we insist in playing a dangerous game of “don’t ask, don’t tell” with this global corporate monster called “the food industry”. SynaestEat encourages guests to ponder upon these issues and their own relationships to them.
