Cooking and Eating as Aesthetic Practice: an Explorative Study

Recent years have witnessed a convergence between art and cooking. At their confluence, they address themes such as gustatory intensity, communal dining, hospitality and sustainability, facilitating the development of models that provide solutions to key issues affecting contemporary nutritional practices.

Content and aim of the research project
The food crisis observed by researchers in the fields of social and cultural science coincides with the marked dissatisfaction of consumers in Switzerland with their own diet and general lifestyle. At the same time, cooking, nutrition and eating attract a great deal of media attention as vessels for addressing key issues pertaining to health, sustainability, leisure activities and social coexistence. This project explores the current points of contact between art and cooking. Firstly, it analyses the relevant discourses and practices with regard to sustainability, consumption and hospitality. Secondly, it examines how chefs in Switzerland develop their knowledge and draw on aesthetic practices of transformation, communication and presentation to reposition their field. Thirdly, by fusing these fields of research, the project aims to develop artistic and culinary models for an alternative food culture for representative areas.


Scientific and social context
Food and nutrition are a key component of human identity and health. Poor diet, the wasting of resources and the loss of a shared gastronomic culture all engender significant subsequent costs. It therefore appears necessary to investigate the aesthetic aspect of cooking and eating in greater depth in order to introduce it into a broader social and scientific discours.

Project duration: 2015 – 2019
Founding: Schweizer Nationalfonds
Projectlead: Prof. Dr. Nicolaj van der Meulen
Projectteam: Prof. Dr. Jörg Wiesel, Anneli Käsmayr

• Forschungsinstitut für biologischen Landbau FiBL, Departement für Sozioökonomie, Dr. sc. Robert Home, Dipl. Botanikerin Bernadette Oehen
• Atelier Mondial, Internationales Austausch- und Atelierprogramm Region Basel, Dr. Alexandra Stäheli
• Basque Culinary Center, San Sebastián Dr. Elena Urdaneta, Research and Development Director
• Hochschule Fulda, Prof. Dr. Jana Rückert-John, Professur für Soziologie des Essens

• Max-Planck Institut für Polymerforschung, Mainz, Prof. Dr. Thomas A. Vilgis (Food Science and Soft Matter)

• Pro Specie Rara, Schweiz. Stiftung für die kulturhistorische Vielfalt von Pflanzen und Tieren, Dr. Béla Barta

• Rössli Gasthaus, Escholzmatt, Stefan Wiesner, Küchenchef