New Ultimate Imperial Feast
Collaboration with Adelaide Lala Tam
http://adelaidetam.net/
http://adelaidetam.net/
As the choices we make around food consumption is increasing seen as an environmental and social responsibility, the ethics of its production are now coming in conflict with many of the cultural traditions that surround the meals we eat. Instead of abandoning these traditions in favour of alternative lifestyle trends, the ‘New Ultimate Imperial Feast’ uses the history of China’s most extravagant banquets to bring cultural heritage and radical food production techniques together.
Based on the ‘Manchu Han Imperial Feast’—a meal from the Qing dynasty that consists of at least 108 unique dishes that united the Manchu and Han Chinese cultures—the "New Ultimate Imperial Feast" is a series of dining experiences that bridges developments in biotechnology and agricultural systems with cultural traditions to broaden our perception of what future food systems could look like. Examining the notion of locality, rarity and luxury in traditional dishes from around the world, this ongoing project proposes new cultural practices that can unite us in the face of global ethical dilemmas, such as environment pollution, animal cruelty, and mass extinction.
Based on the ‘Manchu Han Imperial Feast’—a meal from the Qing dynasty that consists of at least 108 unique dishes that united the Manchu and Han Chinese cultures—the "New Ultimate Imperial Feast" is a series of dining experiences that bridges developments in biotechnology and agricultural systems with cultural traditions to broaden our perception of what future food systems could look like. Examining the notion of locality, rarity and luxury in traditional dishes from around the world, this ongoing project proposes new cultural practices that can unite us in the face of global ethical dilemmas, such as environment pollution, animal cruelty, and mass extinction.
Credits
Artist: Adelaide Lala Tam, Kuang-Yi Ku
Visual identity design: Yu-Tzu Huang
Animation: Jonas Ersland
Video making: Jian Da Huang, Gal Keshet
Scenography: Jade Chan, Christian Hammer Juhl
Food model: Taiwan Saikyo Sample Limited Company, Toon Nijssen
Tableware design: Adelaide Lala Tam
Tableware production: De Zhao Tan, Ri Hua Tan
Graphic design assistant: Joy Chan
Costume design: Chia-Wei Tien
Production manager: Matthew Wang
Copywriting: Vincent Thornhill
Exhibition photography: Billy Elvis
Project assistant: Seewhy Ng
Supported by
Ministry of Culture in Taiwan
Creative Industries Fund NL
Artist: Adelaide Lala Tam, Kuang-Yi Ku
Visual identity design: Yu-Tzu Huang
Animation: Jonas Ersland
Video making: Jian Da Huang, Gal Keshet
Scenography: Jade Chan, Christian Hammer Juhl
Food model: Taiwan Saikyo Sample Limited Company, Toon Nijssen
Tableware design: Adelaide Lala Tam
Tableware production: De Zhao Tan, Ri Hua Tan
Graphic design assistant: Joy Chan
Costume design: Chia-Wei Tien
Production manager: Matthew Wang
Copywriting: Vincent Thornhill
Exhibition photography: Billy Elvis
Project assistant: Seewhy Ng
Supported by
Ministry of Culture in Taiwan
Creative Industries Fund NL
Super hybrid shark fin
The appetite for shark fin in soups and other dishes is leading to the endangerment of many shark species. To counter this, we could synthesize a new type of shark fin in a speculative dish that genetically hybridizes the whale shark and basking shark; the two biggest sharks in the world. Based on the knowledge of synthetic biology, we propose an artificial shark fin created through tissue culture and 3D bioprinting. By hybridizing these two species, we can create a larger, and more flavourful alternative to natural shark fin, in the hope it could reduce, or completely replace the practice of illegal shark poaching.
The appetite for shark fin in soups and other dishes is leading to the endangerment of many shark species. To counter this, we could synthesize a new type of shark fin in a speculative dish that genetically hybridizes the whale shark and basking shark; the two biggest sharks in the world. Based on the knowledge of synthetic biology, we propose an artificial shark fin created through tissue culture and 3D bioprinting. By hybridizing these two species, we can create a larger, and more flavourful alternative to natural shark fin, in the hope it could reduce, or completely replace the practice of illegal shark poaching.
Neanderthal brain
Monkey Brain is one of the most famous dishes in the “Manchu Han Imperial Feast”. However, it is also one of the cruelest of the 108 courses. We aim to eliminate this cruelty by substituting the Monkey Brain for the brain of the Neanderthal, one that is larger than that of the monkey’s, and even our own. However, we all know Neanderthals are no longer with us on Earth, so in this speculative dish we extract the DNA of Neanderthal from a fossil specimen. We hybridize the genes from the Neanderthal with a breed of monkey to synthesize a hybrid brain. While creating this new brain through synthetic biology, tissue culture and 3D bioprinting, we also design cuisine around it in which can be consumed.
Monkey Brain is one of the most famous dishes in the “Manchu Han Imperial Feast”. However, it is also one of the cruelest of the 108 courses. We aim to eliminate this cruelty by substituting the Monkey Brain for the brain of the Neanderthal, one that is larger than that of the monkey’s, and even our own. However, we all know Neanderthals are no longer with us on Earth, so in this speculative dish we extract the DNA of Neanderthal from a fossil specimen. We hybridize the genes from the Neanderthal with a breed of monkey to synthesize a hybrid brain. While creating this new brain through synthetic biology, tissue culture and 3D bioprinting, we also design cuisine around it in which can be consumed.
Moon Ginseng soup
A long-living strain of wild ginseng is known to many for its supposed anti-aging properties. In the belief system of traditional Chinese medicine, this makes wild ginseng appear far more powerful than the readily available cultivated variety. This perception causes the illegal harvesting of wild ginseng, and its endangerment in North America and East Asia. Pushing this logic to its extreme, we propose growing ginseng on the moon, creating a new sense or cultural rarity and desire. One moon year could be defined as equal to one Earth month, so a lunar “millennium ginseng” could be cultivated in only 83 earth years. With this sense of desire, the illegal harvesting of wild ginseng on Earth could be replaced with attempts to harvest this new delicacy. To support this alternative, we will design a dish that uses moon ginseng in a futuristic dining experience.
A long-living strain of wild ginseng is known to many for its supposed anti-aging properties. In the belief system of traditional Chinese medicine, this makes wild ginseng appear far more powerful than the readily available cultivated variety. This perception causes the illegal harvesting of wild ginseng, and its endangerment in North America and East Asia. Pushing this logic to its extreme, we propose growing ginseng on the moon, creating a new sense or cultural rarity and desire. One moon year could be defined as equal to one Earth month, so a lunar “millennium ginseng” could be cultivated in only 83 earth years. With this sense of desire, the illegal harvesting of wild ginseng on Earth could be replaced with attempts to harvest this new delicacy. To support this alternative, we will design a dish that uses moon ginseng in a futuristic dining experience.
Cow’ brain and bone marrow
Mad cow disease (Bovine spongiform encephalopathy) is a neurodegenerative disease particular to cattle. Symptoms include abnormal behavior, trouble walking, and weight loss. Due to a large scale outbreak of the disease in the United Kingdom in 1986, extra precautions are now in place when discarding parts of cows that are more likely to become infected, such as brains and spinal chords. In this scenario, clean, healthy brain and bone marrow become a rare ingredient to use as a starting point for a new form of cuisine. In this ironic gesture, mad cow disease creates value, in contrast to the factory farm conditions we implement to also create value; the very conditions that contributed to the outbreak of mad cow disease in the first place.
Mad cow disease (Bovine spongiform encephalopathy) is a neurodegenerative disease particular to cattle. Symptoms include abnormal behavior, trouble walking, and weight loss. Due to a large scale outbreak of the disease in the United Kingdom in 1986, extra precautions are now in place when discarding parts of cows that are more likely to become infected, such as brains and spinal chords. In this scenario, clean, healthy brain and bone marrow become a rare ingredient to use as a starting point for a new form of cuisine. In this ironic gesture, mad cow disease creates value, in contrast to the factory farm conditions we implement to also create value; the very conditions that contributed to the outbreak of mad cow disease in the first place.
Pig milk cheese platter
Although it feels like we are presented an endless array of dairy-based food products at our local super markets, these products represent only a very small portion of potential dairy sources that could be used. Cheese for example could be derived from any animal that creates milk for its offspring, but cow, goat, and sheep milk dominates all available options. These animals symbolise an economic prioritisation and exploitation of convenient animals. Pig milk has similar in composition to cow's milk, which contains 8.5% fat, compared to 3.5% fat in cow’s milk. It also has similar colostrum composition in terms of protein, fat, and lactose. However, pig milk is very seldom used in human dairy products, due to the small quantities obtainable, the lack of machinery designed to milk pigs, and the aggressive nature of pigs. With the Pig milk cheese platter, we challenge the notion of ‘non-viable agricultural products’ to highlight how our convenience shape our ethical perspectives of animals in agricultural systems.
Although it feels like we are presented an endless array of dairy-based food products at our local super markets, these products represent only a very small portion of potential dairy sources that could be used. Cheese for example could be derived from any animal that creates milk for its offspring, but cow, goat, and sheep milk dominates all available options. These animals symbolise an economic prioritisation and exploitation of convenient animals. Pig milk has similar in composition to cow's milk, which contains 8.5% fat, compared to 3.5% fat in cow’s milk. It also has similar colostrum composition in terms of protein, fat, and lactose. However, pig milk is very seldom used in human dairy products, due to the small quantities obtainable, the lack of machinery designed to milk pigs, and the aggressive nature of pigs. With the Pig milk cheese platter, we challenge the notion of ‘non-viable agricultural products’ to highlight how our convenience shape our ethical perspectives of animals in agricultural systems.
Roasted rooster
Chick culling is the process of killing newly hatched chicks for which the industry has no use, such as male chickens that are not needed for fertilisation programmes. In 2018, 7 billion day-old male chicks were culled in the egg industry. In an effort to make this process more efficient, and arguably more humane, German scientists pioneered the “Sleggt” method, allowing farmers to determine chicks’ gender before they hatch, allowing eggs to be destroyed before male chicks hatch. With development also made in artificial fertilization of chickens, will male roosters face extinction in the near future? Gender (or biological sex) becomes the focus of this dish; an ingredient that becomes more precious as developments in science and technology continue to streamline reproductive processes within our food production systems.
Chick culling is the process of killing newly hatched chicks for which the industry has no use, such as male chickens that are not needed for fertilisation programmes. In 2018, 7 billion day-old male chicks were culled in the egg industry. In an effort to make this process more efficient, and arguably more humane, German scientists pioneered the “Sleggt” method, allowing farmers to determine chicks’ gender before they hatch, allowing eggs to be destroyed before male chicks hatch. With development also made in artificial fertilization of chickens, will male roosters face extinction in the near future? Gender (or biological sex) becomes the focus of this dish; an ingredient that becomes more precious as developments in science and technology continue to streamline reproductive processes within our food production systems.