Schlaraffenland

Since the Middle Ages, the Schlaraffenland—the Land of Milk and Honey—is the name of a utopian place, promising a better life and prosperity: prepared food just wings its way into your mouth, wine but gushes from the vines and even the architecture is scrumptious. A fountain of youth keeps the body healthy, wrinkle-free and pure, wage is earned while sleeping, slothfulness is worthwhile and dishonesty is acclaimed. Every day is a sunny Sunday.

The promise as well as the paradox of this culinary paradise have provided fertile soil for literature, fine arts and film to burgeon from ever since. Today, industrialisation and globalisation have ostensibly provided "schlaraffenlandish" conditions – at least regarding the availability of food in Western societies. Thus, the exhibition provides plenty of food for thought with sensual, humorous, whimsical and multidimensional artistic positions as well as a multifaceted supporting programme. They stimulate discussion like an Amuse Gueule; about the boon and bane of urban prosperity, growing socio-economic inequality, the (im)balance between excess, abundance and scarcity, nature and culture as well as with questions of the value of work and craftspeopleship.

Reading suggestions and thematically selected cook books will be available at the library of the German Cook Book Museum (Ostwall 60, Dortmund) providing a particular set of literature especially for this occasion.

With works by: Vittorio Brodmann, Belia Zanna Geetha Brückner, Liza Dieckwisch, Julia Gruner, Alwin Lay, Hannah Levy, Artist Mukbang, Josephine Scheuer, Pablo Schlumberger, Slavs and Tatars

With performances by: Belia Zanna Geetha Brückner, Julius Metzger and Artist Mukbang

curated by Linda Schröer

Kindly supported by

Special Program kindly supported by

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