The Jan van Eyck Academie’s Nature Research and Food Lab, represented in this lecture by Giulia Bellinetti and Marente van der Valk, share in a joint lecture their reflections on how natural processes of fermentation can inspire us to rethink of social and economic relations in an ecological sense. What would happen if we reframed economy as a concept related to dynamic processes of livelihood-making, rather than as a purely human framework legitimizing extractive, profit-driven relations? Giulia and Marente will invite the audience on a collective journey through their minds and tastebuds, to explore these questions and related works of fellow artists.
• Giulia Bellinetti is the coordinator of the Nature Research department and leads the Future Materials Lab at the Jan van Eyck Academy. Previously, she was Coordinator of the Production Department at the M HKA – Museum of Contemporary Art of Antwerp. In recent years, Giulia has become increasingly interested in the ecological discourse in relation to contemporary art, institutional work and interdisciplinary forms of collaborations. She is currently conducting a PhD research project on the epistemic function of art institutions in the age of ecological crisis at the Amsterdam School of Cultural Analysis (University of Amsterdam).
• Marente van der Valk is a UK/NL based culinary artist and chef. She graduated in 2012 from a MA Design and Environment at Goldsmiths University of London. Since then, she has focused on projects and events with an emphasis on environmental awareness, community mindedness and the social importance of food as well as the ephemeral and poetic qualities of food and the act of cooking and eating together. Her work is often a multi-sensory experience where a love for bringing people together results in a wealth of flavours and colours and a feel-good atmosphere. Currently, Marente coordinates the Food Lab at the Jan van Eyck Academy. The Food Lab has been created to offer a multidisciplinary platform to chefs and artists with an interest in food.
