Most people recognize fashion as an art – but food? Thanks to Ferran Adrià and his partnership with Estrella Damm, the Somerset House brings you a retrospective exhibition that may just change your course – of thought that is.
ElBulli: Ferran Adrià and The Art of Food is the first exhibition in the world to be devoted solely to a chef and his restaurant. Ferran Adrià and his team curated the exhibit to take you explicitly through the in-depth, creativity process that is involved when charting the evolution of food that used to be served at elBulli.
Much more complicated than the implication of a stove in the back – or a spatula readily available – Adrià creates his food similar to the way we imagine Da Vinci created The Mona Lisa. He starts with research – in the form of handwritten notes or drawn out sketches. Then the perfectionist chef moves on to the preparation stage, where plastic models are used in order to obtain a flawless shade of color, portion size, and juxtaposition. Once all the details have been worked out to his liking, Adrià is ready for the presentation phase – which not only includes the look of the food, but also the menu, table, and overall dining experience.
“Overall, it is an ode to the creativity, imagination, innovation, talent and teamwork of everyone at elBulli” – the chef says about his exhibition. It is a learning – and fine dining experience that I’m sure any right-brained man would suggest imperative to better understand the extensiveness of the artistic culture.
elBulli: Ferran Adrià and The Art of Food at Somerset House, Embankment Galleries West, SOuth Wing, 5th July – 29th September