Design/Food/Food/Design

Ever since cooking changed from being the mere need to nourish oneself, and has become, with its emphasis on flavor, the conquest of an esthetic pleasure, we have begun to introduce concepts around food that appear to make direct references to the world of art. Basically, to think of a dish means to respond to the need of a project and a vision focused on the idea of composition, a discipline that is the foundation of many arts, including music, painting and architecture and a word, which derives from the Latin ‘componere‘, meaning, literally, to put together, in this case, different ingredients to arrive at a result that is satisfying on the level of taste. Already these brief considerations would be sufficient to illustrate the concrete elements of interdependence between the food and design that go from the esthetic sophistication of the dish itself (food design), attracting us with the elegance and harmony of its arrangement on the plate, to the esthetic element of the place in which the experience of food consumption occurs. The surroundings, the setting, even to the smallest objects for the table, clearly complete and enhance our satisfaction in the performance of a ritual – eating – that, like our living condition, is a permanent fixture of people’s lives. The search for excellence in both cases leads to a sharp focus on details, on the balance of colors, the lighting, the aromas and flavors, There can be no doubt that design and the characteristics of the place in which we enjoy the pleasure of a meal have a decisive influence on the overall experience, considerably affecting our judgment of the food itself and linking food and design. In particular, the architect has the role of created the framework within which the rituals of lunch and dinner take place, attempt to find a link between the type of restaurant and the food served in it, designing the spaces and dispensing, much as the chef does, those specific elements that give it a degree of emotional involvement coherent with the desired aims. Clearly, the relationship between container and content must be dominated by a balance but also by a harmony of intents, so that the relationship created between cuisine and interior design forms a sort of brotherhood dominated by appropriate tones, common goals, synchronism of expressions. Lacking this, there is a loss of harmony essential to elevate the satisfaction of a meal from every point of view.

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