edible lab, food, culture and design

PI Kensinger created a new elective, GDES491: Edible Lab, Food, Culture and Design in Spring 2023. The goal of this course was to introduce Intangible Cultural Heritage to GDES and VCUQ students and to cultivate an interest in Design & art for Cultural Preservation. The Edible Lab was a big success. Including filed-trips to the desert, food tours of Souq Waqif, presentations with guests, an Iftar and a final exhibition. The exhibition was part of Liwan’s Open Day and was very well attended and received excellent reviews in the local press, including interviews of students in print and on Qatar radio. The two honors students helped in the curation of the show and later were invited by Liwan to submit an article for the first Liwan publication. The exhibition ran May 14-28 May 2023

“The Edible Lab, Food, Culture & Design exhibit on display for the first time in Liwan Design Studios and Labs. The exhibition will take you on an epic culinary adventure of time, history, geography, power, trade, science, culture, money, mythology, legend, literature, poetry – and back into the kitchen. On display are posters and books from 13 VCU Arts Qatar artists & designers showing their personal narratives and connections to different ingredients. The works highlight and showcase intangible and tangible heritage through oral histories and personal narratives of each ingredient, including recipes, rituals, feasts, celebrations, superstitions and even possibly grandmothers’ advice.