The newest creation from Italian artist Mattia Casalegno, Aerobanquets RMX, marks a captivating fusion of artistry and gastronomy. This innovative installation introduces an unparalleled sensory journey, melding virtual reality technology with delectable culinary delights, offering a feast for both the senses and the mind.
Aerobanquets RMX stands as a testament to collaboration, uniting the visionary talents of artist Mattia Casalegno with the culinary expertise of chef-partner Chintan Pandya, restaurateur Roni Mazumdar, and Rahi’s chef de cuisine, Soham Deshpande. Together, they have crafted a menu that harmonizes art and flavor, promising an unforgettable dining experience.
Aerobanquets RMX
According to Mattia Casalegno, aerobanquets RMX is a series of immersive dining experiences focused on taste perception. Loosely based on the Futurist Cookbook, the (in)famous Italian book of surreal recipes and fantastical dinners published in 1932, the project is a multi-sensorial journey experienced in Mixed Reality.
“Part manifesto, part artistic joke, the Futurist Cookbook is a collection of recipes, experiments, declamations and allegorical tales: here are recipes for ice cream on the moon; candied atmospheric electricity; nocturnal love feasts; sculpted meats. The Cookbook is a provocative, visionary work on the future of nourishment, which well ahead of time touched on issues of post-capitalistic societies and labor that are so relevant to our times. Every society and era has a distinctive way of preparing and consuming food, and the Futurists were among the first artists to envision novel ways of approaching food based on the technological transformations of modernity. How will augmented technologies revolutionize food consumption in the future? In which ways do embodiment and memory influence our experience of food? How is perception processed neurologically by our brain?” Mattia Casalegno stated.
“The way we construct our reality is always a negotiation between our senses and what our brain is making of the environment around us. In its essence, the Aerobanquets RMX is about reframing our perceptions and changing the way we experience food”.
The first performance
The groundbreaking performance made its debut at a prestigious arts center in Shanghai, as detailed by The New York Times. During this extraordinary gastronomic journey, guests indulged in a series of five to seven meticulously crafted dishes prepared by acclaimed chef Chintan Pandya, recipient of Michelin stars and James Beard Awards.
In this unique dining experience, diners are transported to a virtual realm where animated representations of each bite-sized course materialize before them, eliminating any preconceived notions about the upcoming flavors. This innovative approach heightens the senses, with taste and texture influenced by the sights and sounds of the virtual reality environment.
Renowned artist Casalegno described the virtual reality component as a tool for expanding sensory perception, allowing diners to focus more acutely on the nuances of taste and texture. Within the virtual space, diners are enveloped by mesmerizing animations, from ethereal landscapes adorned with floating fruits and instruments to grand classical statues.
