Art Meets Food: A Gastronomic Gallery Experience
This project blends the creativity of painting with the craft of cooking, aiming to help audiences taste and understand art at a deeper level. Food becomes a medium through which motivation, meaning, and the essential elements of a work of art are explored and enjoyed.
Leading the initiative are artist María Dolores Mulá and conductor Jaime Seva. They are joined by supporters Josep-Lluís González and Nuria Menargues, the creators of the GICArt platform for creators, who help bring the Chef and Artists concept to life.
The inaugural event is scheduled for March 9 in Alicante at Hestia Lucentum. The dinner is intimate, with only 12 guests, and features two artists who collaborate with the chef to shape a dining experience. The idea is not simply for the chef to cook, but for the artist and the chef to find a shared creative point that resonates with both parties.
A guiding element of the evening is the dialogue between food and art. The aim is to convey the artistic vision of María Dolores Mulá through the plate, the textures of the dish, its color and even the plate’s design. Seva, who traveled to Santa Pola to study Mulá’s work, notes that the concept requires something heartfelt rather than conventional, a menu born from emotion rather than routine.
At the event, photographs capture the moment: Josep-Lluís González and Núria Menargues with two works by María Dolores Mulá at Hestia Lucentum. The image underscores the synergy between the culinary and visual arts that the project strives to illuminate.
Mulá explains her intent to stay true to what she sees and feels, letting textures, reliefs and personal life experiences influence the tasting and the overall experience. The goal is to rediscover how these emotional ties translate into what is eaten and drunk.
To realize the sensory connection, the menu will incorporate textures and local ingredients that echo Mulá’s paintings. Expect earthy aromas from truffles, the sea’s proximity reflected in humidity and marine textures, and a balance of flavors drawn from the region. scallops gathered from local shores will introduce a delicate shellfish note, while a touch of red in the meat nods to a painting resembling corten steel or a pigeon. The team promises a Mediterranean ambience that mirrors Mulá’s artistic vocabulary.
Selected Works
Mulá makes Hestia Lucentum an ideal setting to launch this ongoing collaboration. The space acts as a laboratory of sorts, much like stepping into a painter’s studio where materials and techniques are visible and tangible. During the selection, a piece from the Nothing series stood out, a representation of rebirth inspired by the bark of trees.
Other works feature engraving centered on water, a theme that has never been fully revealed, alongside another water-themed piece by Joan Fuster. An additional study on gastronomy and nature, created for a studies gathering, also exists alongside three small perforated-paper works dedicated to Miguel Hernández.
Monthly Tradition
The organizers have sustained this cycle for a year and a half, gathering different artists and cooks on a monthly basis in venues that defy conventional dining spaces. The goal is to broaden the audience for both fields and to show that gastronomy and art can complement and inspire each other.
Gastronomy has grown into a compelling cultural touchstone, drawing people from around the globe. Yet the art world has seen a quieter period, according to the organizers. The mission remains to rekindle curiosity, to blend research, craft, and tradition with culinary experiences that reflect and amplify artistic inquiry. In this vision, food and art are not separate pursuits but intertwined expressions that enrich one another and the audience that experiences them.