Based on Pig

A Two-Year Descent Into Budapest's Culinary Neurosis

"Based On Pig" was a two-year artistic research project that sought to illuminate the rich tapestry of contemporary eating habits in Budapest. Rather than simply cataloging ingredients, we aimed to understand the cultural narratives that shape our culinary choices.

We explored the stories, traditions, and even legends surrounding common ingredients, uncovering the hidden histories that inform our daily meals. We examined the information available both online and in the city's markets, seeking to understand how these narratives influence our food-related decisions. This cultural research was then complemented by practical kitchen experiments, bridging the gap between academic study and culinary experience while trying not to set the kitchen on fire.

Each month, we focused on a specific ingredient, beginning with the ubiquitous pig, and progressively expanding to other animals and vegetables, dairy products, found in Budapest's kitchens.

We even investigated salt. It was, unsurprisingly, quite salty, but we learned a lot about its cultural significance.

We approached each ingredient with design thinking methodologies, analyzing its cultural context and practical application. To ensure professional rigor, our kitchen experiments were conducted as curated events, featuring collaborations with professional chefs, gastro writers, and local restaurants, because, you know, someone had to know what they were doing.

We also conducted comparative analyses of raw food sources, examining the methods and challenges surrounding food safety, origin transparency, and quality control practices across various markets – from small groceries to hypermarkets.

The project's findings were disseminated through a variety of media, including written texts, presentations, visualizations, and videos, all designed to articulate our research and arguments. We also organized public events, conducted surveys, and collaborated with news media to share our discoveries with a wider audience.

And, frankly, I'm still not sure what we learned. Except that maybe we should all just eat pizza. And worry less.

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Some examples of our outputs:

• Survey and infographic about reception of in-vitro meat

• Shooting a video about the connection between whistling and carrots

• BoP labor - carrot

• BoP labor - presentation about kitchen raw materials, for example the lettuce test

• BoP on Restaurant Day

• BoP Labor - Prezi on tomatoes

• BoP Labor - Potato Prezi - examining different types of potatoes

• Visualization of the wide range of origins the vegetables comes from available in hypermarkets, supermarkets and markets of Budapest.

• Visulalization of the different types of eggs available in the shops of Budapest.