Inspired By Ananas Ananas
ANANAS ANANAS FOR LA OPENING NIGHT
For Verónica González and Elena Petrossian (Ananas Ananas) food is the vocabulary of their design language. There are multiple layers to every creation they serve. They create temporary installations which combine custom-made elements in stainless steel and glass with edible ones, experimenting with material, shape and texture
TO REALLY GET YOU THINKING ABOUT THE ACT OF EATING.
For them food is political. It’s a social commentary. A ritualised playful performance. A way of bringing people together and, of course, absolutely delicious.
WE’RE ALWAYS INSPIRED BY PEOPLE WHO DO THE OPPOSITE THING – WHO TAKE RISKS, ASK QUESTIONS AND CHALLENGE CONVENTIONS WITH THEIR CRAFT.
So, we invited Ananas Ananas to collaborate and create an installation for the opening night of our new LA home.
As Verónica arranged individual figs, with chocolate covered skins that looked like glossy burgundy leather onto spiky leaves, we got talking about how they take the familiar and make into something that offers a different perspective, the biggest risks in their practice, how they strive for zero food waste, and why you always need that first brave person to get stuck in and start eating the food art.
YOU TALK ABOUT BRINGING CRITICAL THINKING INTO THE WAY WE EAT - CAN YOU EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT HOW YOU DO THIS?
I mean, food is political. I think when we try to share what we love, and the love for food, we always try to communicate to the world the way we move, the way we think, the way we are, what we envision for the world. And I feel like it's a way for us to approach it in a very calm and middle ground, so everybody can share their own thoughts and ideas.
AND COULD YOU TELL US MORE ABOUT WHY FOOD IS POLITICAL ACT, A SOCIAL COMMENTARY?
Sometimes we like exploring how can people experience through food as a way of respecting the food itself, with seafood, in ways of cooking. Sometimes, we create installations where we just project the amount of water or the amount of dirt that goes to waste just to produce one single olive or one single apple.
“AND I FEEL IT’S LIKE JUST PUTTING THE FACTS OUT THERE IN AN EDIBLE WAY,”
it's playful, interactive, a way for us to express ourselves.
WHAT’S ONE OF THE BIGGEST RISKS YOU TOOK IN YOUR PRACTICE SINCE STARTING?
Import, Export. No, I am kidding! Shipping is a nightmare. For us, it’s been developing a practice around material, around stainless steel and glassware has been the most challenging part. We didn’t really want it in the beginning, but now we're mixing the best of both worlds, and
“I THINK IT'S BEEN A BEAUTIFUL CHALLENGE.”
HOW DO YOU FIND THE RIGHT BALANCE BETWEEN THE SENSES OF HOW SOMETHING LOOKS, SMELLS, OR TASTES?
It's a perfect balance. I always try to evoke something that people will feel familiar with, you know? Like, I feel like that's the way we design it. And then when we have it, we always say, okay, then how do we break it down? How do we change it?
“IT'S A LOT OF NOSTALGIA MIXED WITH PLAYFULNESS, AND THEN A TWIST OF CURIOSITY.”
You know, a twist, but then how can we make it weird? How can we make people wander around it? It's a mix of both.
HOW WILL WE MAKE PEOPLE TRY THIS THIS EVENING? BECAUSE IT LOOKS SO BEAUTIFUL. AND PEOPLE GET SCARED OF LIKE BREAKING THE ART.
It's usually like that. But we always need to have the early adopters that first person to jump in.
TO BE THE BRAVE ONE.
“YEAH, WE ALWAYS HAVE A BRAVE ONE.”
WHAT ROLE DO THE PEOPLE THERE TO EAT IT PLAY?
I always love to say that a piece is complete when everyone finishes the food. We don’t use food in massive amounts that people are not going to eat. But when people eat it and it’s going away
“AND YOU SEE THE STAINS AND SEE THE PARTS OF WHERE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN GOING FOR IT,”
that’s when the art really shows and when the piece looks at its most beautiful. I’m just putting the canvas and what really makes it is the people eating it.
ARE YOU ONE OF THOSE HOSTS THAT GETS UPSET WHEN THE GUEST DOESN’T FINISH THEIR FOOD?
Yes, I am that person, definitely. I like to encourage them to finish everything, and I always try to be very mindful of how much people are going to eat and just make enough. I’ll always ready to refill and make this a nice evening, a nice gathering. But I think it’s also really important for Ananas Ananas to show up to the practice of zero waste.
HOW DID YOU MEET?
We met in Mexico. We had a lot of friends in common back then and a friend connected us. Specifically, to cook together for a dinner that's where it all started. And doing it together felt so right. We had very different, but also very similar cultural backgrounds in which we grew up. Sharing food at the table and sharing our own thoughts and having a good relationship with food.
“AS A CULTURAL BACKGROUND, I FEEL LIKE IT'S ALL CONNECTED AND WE REALIZED THAT FOOD IS A UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE.”
So, we might as well use it, to make it.
WHAT DO YOU LEARN FROM OBSERVING HOW OTHERS ENGAGE WITH WHAT YOU’VE CREATED?
We’ve realised that nowadays everybody is looking to lose that stiffness, that they should behave one way or another.
“THEY’RE TOLD THEY SHOULDN’T EAT WITH THEIR HANDS, BUT THEY REALISE THEY ACTUALLY WANT TO EAT WITH THEIR HANDS”
– they actually want to experience certain things, and by us analysing all these things, it is how we created out first tableware collection.
It’s been a very fun process just to watch people going for it and wondering what is going on in their heads, I feel it’s fascinating.
And later that evening the Ananas Ananas installation became the canvas for the Miista crowd to talk about, connect around and all that was left was the imperfect beauty of sticky finger marks on stainless steel leaves.
Our permanent LA home is now open: 8371 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90069
If you’re in the area, we’d love to meet you and show you around our new home.