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Eatopia

At the London Design Biennale, Taiwan expresses its mixed cultural heritage by with an immersive and interactive installation where food combines with architecture and design.

Eatopia is a series of immersive and conceptually led culinary performances taking place at the London Design Biennale, opening today at the Somerset House. The events will explore the richness of Taiwan’s mixed cultural heritage through a diverse presentation of contemporary Taiwanese cuisine, design and architecture.

Curated by architect Rain Wu and designer Shikai Tseng in collaboration with chef Chung-Ho Tsai, Research & Development Chef at the renowned Taiwanese restaurant Pasadena, Eatopia will respond to the Biennale’s theme “Utopia by Design” by exploring the process of reaching a Utopian state. The performances will give a taste of Taiwan’s history as a country with an array of cultural heritage and residents from many different backgrounds. As Utopia is an ever-moving state, all facets of Taiwan’s identities should be nurtured and cultures should be encouraged to fuse and evolve.

An experimental tasting menu of five dishes will guide the audience on a narrated journey, leading them through the installation’s themes via a series of narratives and sensory experiences. Visitors will be able to meander through a serene forest-like installation: a long dining table stands like a rock surrounded by trees, accompanied by forest sounds and dim lighting.

The pavilion is a citizen-initiated project organised by NGO CxCity and the Taipei-based Institute of Urban Design with support from local communities and governmental bodies.