Abstract
This project reflects on the “disappearance” of land, stories, and ecological actors within the Venetian lagoon. Historically, the lagoon exemplified socio-ecological co-existence, sustaining La Serenissima for centuries. Today this balance is disrupted by human-induced pressures. Among the most fragile symbols are the barene (sandbanks), now eroding under anthropogenic activities. The barene host halophytes, endemic plants adapted to fluctuating salinity, temperature, and tides, which in the past were also part of the local diet. From sea fennel on Venetian canal walls to salicornia, inula, and portulaca on remote islands, halophytes shape the lagoon’s landscapes and carry cultural and emotional value. The project builds on emerging artistic, culinary, and community explorations of halophytes through a multisensory exhibition. Guided by the question “How can experiential forms of public exhibition enhance discourse around food, ecology, and circularity?”, the exhibition, titled Gardenotopia (after Foucault’s “heterotopia”), invited audiences to taste a three-flavor ice cream made from foraged halophytes. Taste became not only an embodied experience but also a trigger for reflection and discussion, creating direct sensory connections with lagoon ecology. Audience responses revealed that disappearance is ecological and narrative: many were unaware halophytes were edible, a knowledge once common in the region. Conversations arose only after tasting, showing the limits of visual and textual display alone. Ultimately, the project demonstrates how exhibitions that extend beyond the “white cube”, therefore inviting touch, smell, and taste, can foster dialogue, collaboration, and deeper reflection on sustainability and cultural memory.
Details
Presentation Type
Theme
KEYWORDS
FOOD ECOLOGY, EXPERIENTIAL APPROACHES, MULTISENSORY, PLACE-BASED RESEARCH
