“Spain has chosen to premiere Tapas in Miami, coinciding with Art Basel Week. This new, international traveling cultural experience aims to share its design for food with the international art and design influencers converging in Miami,” adds Ms. Marco.

“This Spanish revolution fosters the partnership between chef and designer,” said Juli Capella, curator.

Curator Juli Capella further emphasizes the role that design plays in this exhibition, and in Spain’s new design-rich culinary influences: “In a world without design, we would be sitting naked on the ground, there would be no tables and no chairs, no cameras or wristwatches.”

“Design is synonymous with progress. As our different cultures engage in more permanent contact and we are all influenced by each other, the distinctive features of geographical design by countries or by regions are melting away in our inter-connected world.”

The Tapas show is divided into three major sections within the
8,000-square-foot exhibition:

1. The kitchen
This is the working area, a laboratory which blends functionality and aesthetics. A feature of every home and restaurant which must be equipped with the accoutrements, utensils, apparatus, dishes and furniture used to prepare food, such as casseroles, cutlery, containers and a range of equipment employed to handle food, process and cook it, and finally arrange it on the dishes or plates which will be served at table. Here, in a space essentially dedicated to work, functionality previously reigned supreme, although new materials and the fact that the kitchen has gradually taken on an increasingly important role within the home have led to a change in habits and the aesthetics of the furniture and objects to be found here.

2. The table
This is where food and drink are taken in, a shared space combining furniture and architecture with functionality and aesthetics. The section reveals the whole host of objects designed for the presentation and sampling of food. Whether at home or in a restaurant, on a airplane or picnicking in the countryside, the act of eating is accompanied by a ritual made up of objects which will vary depending on the circumstances, and could include anything from the smallest salt cellar to the crockery, cutlery, glassware, table linen, furniture (tables, chairs, lamps) and interior decor, right up to the architecture of famous wineries and restaurants.

3. The meal
Ingredients, techniques and diet, combining tradition and modernity. This section, divided into several settings, presents first of all food produce which stands out above all from the formal perspective. It also shows the evolution of traditional Spanish products “devised” by mankind, in their form or concept (anchovy-stuffed olives, churros and paella, whose origins are lost in the mists of time), alongside more elaborate and avant-garde techniques by innovative chefs. From Spanish ingredients such as the cured hams of the Iberian pig to the most sophisticated creations dreamt up at elBulli, alongside native culinary creations including the paella and gazpacho, and such inspired but anonymous inventions as the pintxo bar snacks of the Basque Country.

This section contains a range of references and historical anecdotes to the origins of Spain’s famed tapas, including one of many possible explanations suggesting that the practice may have begun in the 13th century (when King Alfonso the Wise suffered an illness and was advised to drink the occasional glass of wine).

New designs for new social challenges are also featured in this third setting, highlighting the interest taken by Spanish design in new technologies, its commitment to the restoration of traditional craft techniques in harmony with the values of eco-design, and the use of recycled materials such as cardboard and wood, as well as plants such as bulrushes.

Concurrent Local Programming:
Acción Cultural Española (AC/E) and Centro Cultural Español in Miami (CCE Miami) present a cultural series at the Moore Space and at CCE Miami (located at 1490 Biscayne Blvd.), including:

The Moore Building, 4040 N.E. 2nd Avenue, Miami’s Design District
– Tuesday-Friday: 11:00 am – 7:00 pm, Saturday: 12:00 – 7:00 pm

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