Forestis Apparatus
research residency in Guerbigny, France
with L’Atelier de l’Ours
assistance Marie Balmer
2019
supported by the program Création en cours
Photos l’Atelier de l’Ours
« Forestis Apparatus » aims to link territories and food : to discover the surroundings and its spontaneous vegetation as the original source of a meal, but also use the taste as an exploration tool.
The research took place in Guerbigny, Somme department, a small village framed by a forest on one side, and cultivated fields on the other side.
Part of the research was led han-in hand with the primary school of Guerbigny. We explored a forest flora, saw the vegetation evolving through months, indexed the plants, and questioned its edible dimension: how to keep the taste through the seasons, how to cook it fresh ? What relation do we have while eating the plants directly in its natural environment ?
Like the pluridisciplinary aspect of our team, the project developed the creation of different tools and objects, which would become a part of a final performative and participatory installation :
-the kids embodied the plants in their environment in a performance
-plants were transformed through the 4 months of research to preserve the tastes : syrups, liquors, pestos, vinegars.
-A solar dryer was created on site
-Freshly picked and cooked wild plants were presented in a 7 course tasting menu.
