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Arts and sciences. These two worlds are usually like water and oil, never able to fully combine or to work together. But NYAWA ’19 has proven everyone wrong. This year I was given the honour of being one of the esteemed Jury for NYAWA ’19, and with food as the theme of the exhibition, I knew this would be a very interesting subject that would appeal to all of us.
As an artist, I approach and scrutinise each art work, or ‘artefact’ from the artistic point of view, and wonder about how the general public would accept it. It gives me great pleasure to see that art can be an effective tool to educate people on subjects that are usually regarded as intimidating or are perceived as only for the learned. I am so in awe of this initiative and its purpose. Scientists, researchers and lecturers from various faculties in UPM have come up with a way to share their vast knowledge about nature from their laborious research, into meaningful and beautiful art pieces, proving once and for all, that art is not limited only to artists in the fine arts world. Art is for everyone and anyone who wants to learn and embrace it. It is a great method to encourage creative and lateral thinking and is applicable in many various fields.
The artefacts presented are unique, provocative and informative. Even though there were a few artefacts that needed touching up and editing, it was still a great effort considering that their creators did not have experience in the arts. I also observed how exciting this was for the faculty as well. How they got to tap into their creative side and were able to express themselves in a different form, totally out of their comfort zone and yet still had fun. Passion, love and hard work truly reflected in their artefacts. I think this method of expression should be implemented at schools and universities. It is a good way to stimulate and encourage students to think out of the box. And there should be more initiatives like this to arouse interest among the people and also to encourage our nation’s art world to be more open and inclusive towards different people from different backgrounds to do art and be recognised as artists. I am looking forward to next year’s theme and exhibition. I am positive that this would be a continuous event that would excite everyone and make great waves in our art world.
Makanan, Aliments, Comida, Lebensmittel, Eten- call it what you may, food has always been the central, most important aspect of our life, quite literally. Since the dawn of time, beginning with the creation of man, the quest for food has been embedded in our very genes. We are continuously in the food hunt, either driven by hunger to survive, to propagate, or for the simple reason of satiating cravings. What starts as an effort for the body to gain nourishment through intake of nutritional substance, over millennia, food has become an integral part of the human civilisation, oftentimes being the keystone factor in history-defining events that shape the world in which we live today. New lands were explored, wars were waged, treaties were forged, and trade routes were formed, all in the name of food. Hence, we may say that the importance of food spans different aspects of humanity, which can be viewed through multiple lenses and seen from many perspectives. With the rise of multiple civilisations, interactions between human groups are unavoidable. Food has been one of the most coveted commodities. In the past, the fight for sustainable food supply was often the justification for waging war, conquering fertile lands, as well as subduing neighbouring countries. Brutal as it may be, it is undeniable that food security was and still is the primary concern of communities around the world. But food in history is not all about blood and gore; food was also used as peace offerings, in the form of food diplomacy as well as through trade. As a significant commodity traded since the ancient years, food has been a catalyst for forging trade agreements between nations and for venturing into new lands, thus, creating greater connectivity throughout the trade route. Take the Malacca Port, for example. Located in the heart of the Malay Archipelago, this entrepot port has become the link that connects major trade routes between the East and the West. The massive development of the port is attributed to the quest for spice by Westerners in the days of the Malaccan Sultanate. The Malacca Port continued to expand and due to the booming food trade, became one of the most important food exchange points in the 15th century. This piece of history shows that food can be a significant driver in economic development.
On another note, food can also be explored for its role as one of the major commodities traded all over the world. Food security, that is, how prepared a country is to continuously supply its citizens with food, is one of the leading indicators of national stability. Not all countries have ample arable land for food cultivation. Many countries, therefore, have to rely heavily on food trade. From a macro perspective view of the food trade, the standard value chain in an advanced food ecosystem would be viewed as complete if it includes upstream crude material production which covers horticulture and domesticated animal production, followed by semi-processed and processed food production. Borrowing from the well-known model of farm-to-fork, the whole ecosystem of food supply chain is bolstered by various elements including urbanisation, infrastructure, government policies and consumer preferences, all of which affect how food is grown, handled and distributed.
With the advancement of technology, the ways food is grown have been diversified, not least to get around the problem of the scarcity of land. Urban farming today has not only to match supply of food with demand but also to both maintain and improve the freshness of the food supply. Thanks to science and technology that has enabled mass production in the food industry, research and development efforts in the agriculture as well as the food processing sectors have spurred industry players to team up with researchers to continually look for solutions in producing food at lower costs, exploring alternative raw materials, preserving and improving food nutritional quality, improving sensory enhancements and convenience, and most importantly, ensuring safety of food for consumption. Efforts in these areas are congruent with the current food trend of convenience food consumption, accommodating the rising demand for food-on-the-go, that is, ready-to- eat (RTE) food, as time becomes a scarce resource in modern day living.
Still on the food trail, the production of food ends when food reaches the consumer. Back to the basics, food can be explained through the bodily need for constant nourishment – for growth, reproduction, nurturing of our young, and pretty much for being alive. The food that we consume is basically the fuel that keeps our body going, and the quality of food that we eat determines the quality of the life we live. With a balanced diet comprising carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, fibres, essential minerals, and, of course, supplemented by an active lifestyle, one would be able to lead a fulfilling, healthy life. The Food Pyramid, My Plate, Healthy Eating Plate or the Suku-Suku Separuh are among the significant references and guidelines used in designing a healthier menu. The key considerations here are variation, balance and moderation in food intake. In fulfilling hunger and appetite, however, one should bear in mind that both excessive and insufficient nutritional intake will lead to malnutrition; be it overnutrition or undernutrition. Food that is supposed to bring happiness might be blamed for the days we lie in the hospital bed!
The quest of procuring sustainable food supply has also driven us towards exploring new possibilities, either in dietary choices as well as in sampling new gastronomical adventures in the form of exciting new food forms to munch on. Apart from feeding the body, the everlasting push for satiating hunger and fulfilling the desire of our taste buds has led to the existence of different food cultures, evidently characterised by different geographical locations, raw materials availability and socioeconomic climate of each locality. One could observe how different civilisations give rise to different food cultures, and how these groups of people give great emphasis on expanding their culinary diversity. Each civilisation boasts of their own unique food characteristics that define their way of life, and food has since become one of the major elements in expressing cultural identity. For example, people would instantly recognise Indian food through its extensive use of spices, or Chinese cuisine which reflects balance in taste (sweet, sour, salty, spicy and bitter), Japanese fine dining which reflects Japanese people’s appreciation towards the changing seasons and Mother Nature’s bountiful gifts, and American food that reflects the rich history of colonialization and amalgamation of different immigrant cultures. By having these nuances reflected in the food they serve, members of the community strive towards preserving their history and the values that reflect their take on life. On the local front, Malaysia is blessed with a food heritage born of its multicultural and multiethnic society. The tastes, textures, colours and presentations of Malaysian food flourish with a variety of local produce, herbs and recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation. These beautiful heritage food mixtures act as ambassador for our colourful arts and cultures. Just ask any foreign tourists why they are here in Malaysia, the answer may well be “of course, because of the FOOD!”
The journey of the food hunt continues with the view of food as experience. Under the umbrella of hospitality, the food service industry is mushrooming all over the world to cater to the different backgrounds, needs and preferences of the clientele. The medley of food service establishments, be it the hawker stall, ethnic restaurant, the fast foods to the casual and fine dining restaurants, all affect diners in different ways. The dinescape elements in the décor and ambience immerse patrons in the most meaningful ways. Themed restaurants for example are a notable type of ‘experiencescape’. They reflect how, in the context of consumer cultures that present diverse retail alternatives, retailers are focusing on the atmospheric elements to create a more memorable and attractive consumer experience. The combination of architecture and human performance is staged carefully to create in clients the desire to enter and stay. Through various practices of imagineering– decoration, affective engineering, architecture, the use of materials and props – themed places perform escapism, transporting customers away from their daily life, routine and environment. At a certain point in history, when the pursuit of food reaches beyond pleasure, humanity started to take into consideration the functionality of food intake – which brings us to diversifying our food selection and the ways we prepare food; food may be eaten raw, cooked, boiled, roasted, and so forth. Through culinary art, food is expressed in different forms to make it more appealing, beautiful, or ordinary. From mouth-watering to visually appealing, food presentation is infused with artistic values to enhance its value and meaning by chefs. Take the modern cake, for example. The traditional birthday cake for celebration has gone wild today with multi-tier, 3-dimensional cakes with the use of fondant, royal icing, and marzipan modelling chocolate or even edible ink printing. Adding to the current trend in food consumption, the sub-discipline of food science has paved the way for molecular gastronomy which performs the three components of cooking, which are the social, artistic and technical components.
In a nutshell, the need for food is universal, and humanity persists with its ability to secure food readily. Starting with hunting and gathering, we moved into food cultivation, agriculture, animal husbandry and finally into processing food products. The completion of the fork-to-farm ecosystem has shown how people produce and consume food. Either way, this process adds value to the quality of the food we consume. So, choose wisely and bon appetit!
Updated:: 18/11/2021 [mariatulqabtiah]
