House of Loaves of Bread
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No doubt you’ve heard of gingerbread houses, but have you ever seen a house made out of bread? La Triennale di Milano museum has just opened a new exhibition “Arts & Foods” curated by the Italian Architect Italo Rota that merges food, design and architecture into one single journey dedicated to the history of food and food rituals. One of the most intriguing works on display is the Bread House, which was created in 2004 - 2006 by the Swissborn, New York-based sculptor Urs Fischer.
The tiny house, which is just 500 x 400 x 500 cm, is literally cooked out of bread and bread crumbs, and supported and completed by wood, polyurethane foam, silicone, acrylic paint, tape, screws and rugs. The installation’s honest design leaves every single ingredient exposed, not hiding the fact that the home contains an underlying support structure.
As one observes the structure, the overall image of the decaying bread, the strong and pleasant yeasty smell and the attendant fear of destruction evokes a sensation of dread, comfort and amusement all at the same time. The installation is based around the theme of food, hospitality and consumption, a coincidentally perfect topic for the World Expo at Milan, the theme of which is “Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life”. The Expo’s motto is a very open and inviting dictum for artistic, aesthetic, functional and philosophic interpretations.
LA TRIENNALE DI MILANO MUSEUM