Last week, Italian artist Mattia Casalegno debuted his latest thought-provoking installation, Air Banquets RMX, during the Miami Art Week in Miami, Florida. The multi-sensory experience combined VR technology with delicious food to deliver a mixed reality meal unlike anything we’ve seen before.
Inspired by FT Marinetti’s The futuristic cookbook, a collection of fictional recipes from the future, the installation supported up to 16 guests at a time, all wearing a Meta Quest 2 VR headset equipped with an external handheld tracker. During the unique gastronomic experience, guests ate five to seven dishes prepared by Michelin-starred chef Chintan Pandya.
Guests could choose from two menus: regular and vegan. As they ate, the textures and flavors of each dish were rendered in VR. The experience also featured text brought to life by commentary from top chef judge Gail Simmons.
“We currently live in a world where industrial agriculture, overfishing, chemical pollution and soil degradation are endangering the livelihoods of millions by depleting the environment,” Casalegno said in his statement. website. “We live in a culture where speed and economy take precedence over health and quality. With this work I want to highlight our threatening practices and at the same time enjoy the pleasure of food.”
As you can see in the included video, Casalegno has developed a custom accessory that turns Meta’s Touch controllers into futuristic dinnerware. This was most likely done to provide guests with an easy and convenient way to track the location of their meals in VR. That said, the final product looks incredibly cool.
For more information on Aerobanquets RMX visit here.
Image credit: Flavor Five Studio
Source: This Mixed Reality Meal Combines Food And VRUK NEWS TO DAY
