The Food Pyramid

The Food Pyramid

2010 

Rubber liner, Food-grade bins, rainwater, photovoltaic array, submersible pumps and lights, gravel, tomatoes, cilantro, onions, lettuce, tilapia, native marsh plants. 10’ x 12’ x 12’

Location: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, California

Commissioned by: LACMA for EATLACMA curated by Fallen Fruit

Taking cues from material and natural ecologies of Los Angeles, a vertical Fish Taco
Garden. Utilizing repurposed materials from industrialized food systems, the garden
cycles waste generated by one area of the Food Pyramid to feed the other parts.

Diners at the nearby museum cafe completed the cycle by purchasing fish food and feeding the fish. At the end of the exhibition, the entire pyramid was harvested and chefs prepared fish tacos for 100+ visitors while an aquatic puppet show was performed in the piece.

Collaboration with Oliver Hess based on the “Back-to-Basics” exhibition designed and built through a series of hands-on workshops held at Materials & Applications(2009) with key participants Nicholas Blake, Astrid Diehl, Blair Ellis, Brian Janeczko, Glen Kinoshita, and Lindsey Mysse.