Art show confronts food politics and ethics

A screening of short films and video performances by artists from around the country is part of a project by Grand Valley art students from professor Anna Campbell’s Curatorial Studio course. In one semester the students were required to develop an idea, put together a proposal and curate the artists in an exhibition.

Ingest|Digest|Protest will take place Friday September 21, from 5-6:30 p.m. at the Division Avenue Arts collective, 115 S. Division Ave, Grand Rapids. Free admission. The show ties together the artists’ imagery with the curators’ vision, and the audience can share in the synchronicity of the show by eating food specifically designed to coincide with each performance.

The show incorporates the physical aspect of food, as well as the politics of its production and consumption; both are issues found within the work presented. The event confronts food politics through an artistic outlook, allowing visual stimuli to encourage viewer’s participation in understanding the food systems. The one-hour screening is a collection of works selected by a jury of five Grand Valley students who have actively developed the theme and will be curating the show.

“Food is a constant part of life,” said Courtney Jones, curator of the Grand Rapids show. “Everyone can relate to the experience of eating and will have a direct correlation to the show.”

Featured artists come from Kentucky, Utah, and New York, and institutions such as Grand Valley and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Each video is unique yet collectively reflects the theme of the politics of food and the ethics of eating. The show had its premiere screening at Mess Hall in Chicago in April.

For more information visit www.ingestdigestprotest.com or contact Courtney Jones at [email protected].