Hunger and lust, food and sex, cooking for oneself and masturbation, there are more similarities to be explored, yet, have we looked into the presumptions and potentials of these two most basic needs?
While female sexuality is a taboo, male sexuality is a joke.
The project began with critical observation of our society. Female sexuality is traditionally treated as a taboo, and recently as a commodity. Openly discussing sex and sexuality often causes uncomfortable and shameful feelings that keep most women’s mouths shut. Sex is captured by some as filthy, immoral, corrupt and for men. The distorted relation to sex leads women to ignore their bodies, self-perceptions and sexual needs, in the worst case, prevent them from absorbing knowledge about self-protection.
While women are struggling with facing their needs and wants, men talk about sex loudly and teasingly. Sex is a trophy to show off their power, and never about exposing their weakness. No men want to discuss their sexual problems.
An experiment of communicating sexuality through food
STIR UP! is a project aiming at encouraging both men and women to explore and discuss the relationships between food and sex, while challenging the gender-biased settings in these two of human’s most basic needs. Participants were asked to apply food design as a creative tool for communicating their sexual stories. In other words, the task was to cook for their stories about sexuality.
The project collaborated with Chow Chow, an East-Asian food site built by Yen, and feel free, a female self-empowerment organisation founded by Louise Yau. The two designers discovered the commonness of food and sex through an inspiring talk. They decided to test whether food could uncover a path to discuss sexuality openly.
The experiment was set tunes in the form of a workshop which provided room for various sessions. Use of food metaphors allowed people to unfold their stories safely and flexibly. The workshop started with bringing the sensory linkages and lead to reflections on individual experience. What participants absorbed were transformed into inspirations and ingredients of their food design.
Related project: STIR UP! Poster
Stir up at KISD Food Lab
The first workshop took place on the 23rd of June 2017 in the FoodLab of the Köln International School of Design (KISD). A series of sessions showcased the correlation between food and sex and led the participants to share their thoughts and experience.
- Movie Clips Screening – How food correlates to sex?
- Presentation – Why does women’s sexuality matter to both sex?
- Open Discussion – Gender-biased settings of food and dining experience
- Creative Cooking – Cook a dish together that tells your story about sexuality
- Closing – What could male and female benefit from promoting gender equality?
The discussions were very fruitful and open. The setting was very nice as well as the teamwork. Working with food also lightened the topic, making it easier to open up.
Santiago Gonzales
I discovered some surprising correlations between eating habits and sexual behaviour.
Herbert Heitmann Arraes
Will you continue working on this topic?
Rebecca Bäumer
There is a strong correlation between food and sex that we have ignored for a long time. Too many aspects of this topic are interesting and reflect on ourselves.
Shi Qui Zhang
Cooking is an amazing idea to prototype experiences, well done.
Miguel Labato
Stir up at Freiraum Würzburg
The second workshop took place on the 20th of January 2018 in Freiraum Würzburg, a non-commercial space open for talents and ideas. Different from the first try-out, the second workshop stressed on the bodily sensations in the exploration of food and sex. Food ingredients were applied to enlighten the senses of hearing, smell and touch in cooking and eating.
- Movie Clips Screening – How food correlates to sex?
- Exploration of Senses – Senses in cooking, eating and sex
- Presentation and Open Discussion – Gender roles in sex and food
- Creative Cooking – Cook a dish to tells your story about sexuality
The experiment received great responses. Participants transfused their stories not only with the design of the food but the design of the eating experience. One shared his traumatised experience of an intimate relationship which had made him resistant to cook. As he claimed, the workshop facilitated self-dialogues and assisted him in regaining the joy of cooking. Food has become a gentle carrier of our loads, moreover, an exit for the unsaid words.
You proposed a metaphor I never thought of. Combining two different topics opened up a new language to talk about masturbation.
Charlotte Sänger
I hope you will make this seminar everywhere in the world because the contents are very rich. I would like to hear and see your experience in some years. Go on!
Lisa Gerolt
I learned a new language to express myself through the analogy of consumption and cooking.
Sarah Merker