For the holiday open house at FRONT, food + art collective Thought For Food designed an edible art installation, A Winter’s Tale.
The window displays in the Taste Workshop were transformed into a dramatic and festive landscape made of edible treats.
The first window featured a popcorn blizzard, where the 6.5 x 4.5 ft box was rigged as a giant popcorn maker. As popcorn spilled out of the popper, they would fall and collect towards the center of the box, where a blower would then lift them back into the air, creating a constant flow of movement. A simple rake was designed to gather the popcorn.
Tree trimming was the theme of the second window. Crab apples on wooden sticks were dipped in caramel and hung onto a twirling wireframe tree. As the motor-driven tree slowly rotated, the caramel apple ornaments drizzled onto the bed of popcorn below.
Guests were invited to interact with the displays by assembling their own paper cones and scooping popcorn, or picking a caramel apple off of the tree to eat. Some participants got creative and dipped the sticky apples directly into popcorn.
Specialty cocktails were served in the café, where guests experienced a different view of A Winter’s Tale. The windows, which were frosted on the café side, acted as light boxes, creating dramatic silhouettes of the performances.
Thought For Food is an art collective created by Lisa Mishima, Randall Stowell, and Yvonne Mouser. Since 2010, they have designed numerous experiences ranging from edible art installations, conceptual dinner parties, and food products. Thought For Food approaches eating and culinary culture conceptually and visually.
Photos and Video: Ian Colon.
