MILK performance Trasformatorio Numero Zero Montalbano Elicona, Sicilia

MILK

Laurel – Ricotta – Eggs – Woman

An installation about transformation in cheese

The emotional geographics of food, ceremony and the way of sharing and how meaning is given to food, cultural embedded.
Using knowledge on ways to prepare food as background research about cheese making.

In a previous trip to Montalbano we met a local cheese maker, Ezio. He showed us how he makes a cheese called Provolone from the milk of his own cows

I was inspired by his work to explore cheese making in Montalbano and set to make my own version of the cheese from the same milk. Ezio gave me 30 liters of raw milk from which I made 12 kinds of soft cheeses in the shape of eggs. The installation was presented into the higher of the castle’s towers and fed to the spectators. After this, in collaboration with participant artist Emanuela Ravida, we shared a “milking” performance with the left over of the milk.

In response to my research, a very interesting gathering took place in the first week: an afternoon with the community’s elderly people, where they offered us to teach how to make traditional pasta. We shared songs, stories, local folklore and the get together ended up in spontaneous performances by the villagers and the artists alike, sharing of painting, dance steps, food.

What food means to me – preparing food is creating with all senses: I see, smell, feel, taste and hear. Is also sensuality, intimacy, vulnerability, power and womanhood.

“…and she ate his hart, then his liver and further the rest of his meat…”