Dried Food Art Works Warn People To Prepare For Natural Disasters [Pics]
Artist highlights the vulnerability of countries and the importance of being ready when disaster strikes with new project.
In an attempt to help people be better prepare for climate change-related disasters, social sculpture artist Tattfoo Tan has created a project that dehydrates produce and seals them – allowing them to last for up to a year.
The “New Earth – Meals Ready To Eat” packages are not necessarily meant to be eaten, and are more designed as art pieces to provide a constant reminder to be ready for anything.
His work comes at an important time as countries from the Philippines to Italy’s Sardinia have been hit by natural disasters and are still trying to recover weeks later. Tan’s work is specifically inspired by New York’s own disaster, Hurricane Sandy that occurred in 2012 as he himself ran out of food and was surprised at how ill-prepared he was. He explains, ‘”Sandy made me nervous — I had to go all the way to Manhattan to get food, I wondered: If this happens again, am I going to have enough food?”
The 500 in total packages include some surprisingly tasty ingredients such as potato, coconut milk and oregano, which, with hot water, can be transformed into flavoursome mashed potato. Tan has also experimented with prosciutto with sweet sauce by using dehydrated apples and ham.
Tan’s project includes the perfectly apt motto, “Don’t Despair, Be Prepared” and is due to be exhibited in DUMBO, Brooklyn soon.
Scroll through the gallery below: