Food. Fermentation. Caring with. Humans. Non-humans. Planet Earth.
I invite you to explore together in a playful way how fermentation can be seen as a practice beyond human (self-) care. Fermentation, the transformation of food with the help of bacteria and yeasts, as a practice of caring with humans, non-humans and the planet Earth. Why would I care? With whom can we care? How can we care? What can we learn from each other?
My exhibit opens up different ways to look through this window of opportunity. As the main part of this project, I created an Online Fermentation Game and a corresponding Game Event. The goal of the game is to explore together the possibilities of more careful and sustainable food practices on the example of fermentation. As part of the exhibition program, there was the possibility to participate in these events on two dates. Even though this time window is closed now, feel free to contact me as an individual or group via email to sf222rv@student.lnu.se and we can arrange an event opportunity together. The digital interaction takes place through the video conferencing tool zoom as well as the online collaboration tool MURAL.
I created an Interactive Care Mapping that summarizes the associations to fermentation and care mentioned in the game events and enabled the visitors within a certain time window to add their ideas. To get a deeper look into how I care with and through fermentation, you can browse through my Diary of a Caregiver that accompanied me on my explorative journey.
My motivation for this thesis project lies in my curiosity about the future of food and what role fermentation can play in there. Beyond some trials of fermenting vegan yoghurt and baking sourdough bread once in a while, I am fairly new to the field of fermentation. What am I afraid of? Does it really involve that much time to ferment fruits and vegetables, to care? Energy? Knowledge? Dedicating this project to explore fermentation together with others through co-learning, practising care as individual and community. Beyond just human (self-) care. Since we as humans are just a tiny part of the equation.
Online Fermentation Game Events