QUIQUE DACOSTA
TRANSFORMED LANDSCAPES

Exhibition design in Valencia

TYPE

Exhibition design

YEAR

July 2015/January 2016

SURFACE

Organization in 5 blocks

LOCATION

MUVIM, Valencia

This has been one of our most special jobs because it stripped us of our facet of creators and placed us in a position of observers. For us it was an adventure and a privilege to dissect and pay tribute to the work of another creator we deeply admire: the 3 Michelin-starred chef Quique Dacosta.

The idea of doing the exhibition came from a common ground: both he and we were very influenced by the effect of the landscape in our creations. This presence of landscape as a preeminent element encouraged us to review Quique’s gastronomy from a more academic than culinary perspective. And we did so because, regardless of the type of food one likes, it is indisputable that his dishes are small ephemeral works of art: conceptual in their ideation, plastic in their elaboration and very impressive on a sensory level.

01_Landscapes of Exteriority

In this block we show the physical and geographical landscapes that are part of Quique Dacosta’s daily life and that have forged his gastronomic identity. Its protagonists are the natural park of Montgó, in Denia, and the marshes of Pego. The Montgó represents for Quique his conceptual pantry and absolute respect for nature. For his part, the marshland plays the role of gastronomic foundation, with rice as the undisputed king of Valencian cuisine and always present in his menus.

02_The Argonaut's Journey

Upon entering, visitors begin a journey through the evolution of the chef’s treatment of landscape in his dishes. Along the way, seven of his iconic dishes are shown, which are like delicate works of art on a blank canvas. Each dish is associated with concepts that go beyond mere food. We talk about the dream world, geometry in nature, the diffuse limits of perception, the dynamism of natural elements, the moments of transition as a source of life, the recreation of a mineral taste or respect for primordial flavors. The spiral is also interpreted as the constant and endless transformation and growth of Dacosta, who understands his work as a continuous learning process.

03_Routed Landscapes

This third block shows a photographic exhibition by Sergio Coimbra where he exhibits the landscapes created by Quique. Landscapes that are none other than his own dishes presented as contemporary still lifes. Still lifes that speak of avant-garde, technique and his extraordinary creativity.

04_Everyday Landscapes

This block reproduces the everyday landscape of work: Quique Dacosta’s kitchen. We wanted to represent the theatrical character that Quique gives to his menus; understood as a show divided into acts. For this we staged the hustle and bustle that his team lives every day between the stoves of the restaurant. In this audiovisual montage we wanted to make it clear that it is a controlled hustle and bustle. Everything is measured to the millimeter and reviewed by Quique, who adopts a role similar to that of an orchestra conductor.

05_Interior Landscapes

In this last block we analyze the menu he created during the stage in which the exhibition took place (2015-2016). At that time Dacosta had set aside his geographical references, and after an exercise of introspection, he captured his concerns, obsessions and most intimate landscapes, presenting his most personal menu to date.

MORE PROJECTS

Perseus House
Arena Building