"Food in New York: Bigger Than the Plate" is a new exhibit at the Museum of the City of New York that explores the relationship between New Yorkers and food, using the venue's back terrace as an exhibition space for the first time ever.
“Behind every tempting package of processed food at the corner bodega; every carton of fresh berries from a street cart; and every enticing restaurant meal lies an intricate, massive and changing network of relationships,” reads an official press release about the indoor/outdoor show, which is slated to officially open on September 16 and run through the fall of 2023.
Visitors will get to browse through over 20 works by contemporary artists and designers that were tasked with using their respective crafts to come up with solutions to key global and local food-related challenges.
Among the standout pieces on display will be Mary Mattingly's Biosphere (which the museum actually deems to be the centerpiece of the experience), a structural ecosystem that will be growing native plants in saltwater on-premise; Stefani Bardin’s Spooky Action at a Distance, made up of two vintage gum-ball machines from the 1950s that were retrofitted to give out a slew of actionable climate change "bites;" Maira Kalman and Rick Meyerowitz's Sub-Culinary Map illustration of a New York subway map made up of food names; and Pablo Delano's photograph of bodega shelves. There will clearly be a lot to unpack at the show.
As if that wasn’t enough, would-be patrons will also be able to experience a variety of tastings, talks and special events that are presented in accompaniment to the main exhibit.