Future Food (ongoing)

The food industry is subject to constant development; new flavors, improved appearance, innovative manufacturing processes. The question arises, what surprises will we have to deal with in the future and how ethically acceptable are they? The reasons for the ever-evolving production processes are different. The cultivation of fruits and vegetables in the form of crops is human history. Since time immemorial, attempts have been made to obtain the best from the original wild plant through traditional cultivation in order to meet the basic need for food. Nowadays, people still quickly buy packaged and prepared food after work.

In times of abundance and constant availability, innovations must appeal to the consumer in order to currently stand out from the crowd. Research and industry are closely intertwined, resulting in a constant stream of new products. Whereas a few years ago it was whimsical tropical fruit hybrids and meat substitutes, today compatibility, a hip lifestyle and a certain approach to recycling are also at the forefront of the food industry: edible spray paint, algae protein snack bars and beer made from wastewater are just a few examples that will expand our nutritional palette in the future. The term "naturalness" that is readily marketed in this context stands in stark contrast. 

What will our diet of the future look like?
This is the question I am asking myself in my ongoing research project "Future Food". I am asking people from the culinary world how they imagine the food of our future. With the help of a VQGAN, a generative neural network that can create images that look similar to others, I regenerate these food back to our analog world. The project thus consists of three levels. The texts I receive from the respondents, the images of the neural network and my interpretation of them.