Artwork
70 x 7 The Meal act XXXII, MAXXI Museo Nazionale delle Arti del XXI Secolo Rome
Lucy + Jorge Orta, 2011
- Ref: 0600.32
- Materials: Installation table setting for 370 guests, Royal Limoges porcelain plates, hellium balloons, olive branches, seeds
- Dimensions: 105 metres, variable settings
- Exhibition history: 2011 MAXXI Museo Nazionale delle Arti del XXI Secolo Rome
- Concept: The 32nd act of 70 x7 The Meal was staged at MAXXI Museo Nazionale delle Arti del XXI Secolo in Rome for the Umberto Veronesi Foundation annual charity gala dinner, in the splendid piazza setting designed by Zaha Hadid. 370 guests were invited to reflect on the healthy diet, which is not only the companion of wellbeing, but also the new frontier of medicine in the field of cancer prevention.
Specifically for this occasion Lucy + Jorge Orta created two services of limited edition Royal Limoges porcelain, inspired by vegetables and fruits at the base of our well-being, as well imagining the exquisitely dressed tables complete with small packets and black helium balloons containing samples of nutritional plant seeds. During the meal prominent scientists discussed health issues followed by the launch of the balloons to scatter the seeds throughout Rome. In the words of the artists: “art can be a catalyst for a social transformation and we sew these seeds to cultivate artist gardeners”.
70 x 7 The Meal takes its starting point with a multiplication game designed to stimulate conviviality and communication. The work sets up encounters between multiples of seven guests at a potentially endless series of meals. The series is an excellent example of a new form of interactive work in which the artist develops a proactive practice in order to encourage direct experiential engagement and communication between the artwork and new audiences.
Umberto Veronesi Foundation was established in 2003 to support scientific research and the funds raised during the evening are used to support young doctors and researchers.
