Intention

The intention of the First Food Artist Residency is to create an artistic response to the cultural and nutritional importance of local foods, in this case, with reference to Corn, Amaranth, Beans and Squash.

As an initial group of 5 artists, we will base ourselves in Oaxaca as it is historically linked with evidence of the first domesticated use of these foods. As Oaxaca has a strong agricultural and artistic community it provides an ideal environment to engage British based artists in an intuitive response to the original values of the ‘bread’ that sustains us. 

Debates around food sustainability are taking a grip alongside climate change and educational institutions are starting to include relevant studies in the curriculum. This is an opportune moment to take a grounded look at the first seeds, where they started and what they are now, in shape, form, influence and how they fit in to our lives, at a real and symbolic level. 

The aim will be to stimulate activity at an artistic level, ie. not overtly political, and to encourage a dialogue between the two nationalities in an experience of each others immediate environment. The project will grow in 2015 with an opportunity for a number of Mexican artists to be hosted in Britain to make a similar response. 

With a common working arena, (which could be different spaces but within the same area), artists will use different materials and methods to explore their ideas. This will be entirely autonomous, with no governing principle except that we have come as a group. 

All emerging work will be taken directly from the workspace and exhibited at the end of the six weeks. 3D pieces may travel within Mexico and may not necessarily return to the UK. 

The response will be immediate and ephemeral. However, exhibition spaces in Oaxaca will be set up and making processes will be recorded.