Food Is Fiction

Book excerpt: On a daily basis, tens of thousands of food products fight for our attention in supermarkets. It's a miracle that we seem to effortlessly choose what we want from the overwhelming supply. Designers play a crucial role in this. They 'package' food and change it into products that appeal, inform and seduce us. The designer is the indispensable mediator between the producer and us, the consumer. As artisans of alienation, designers make up stories, create illusions and dream images. Food Is Fiction places these stories in the context of the rise of the food industry and contemplating the future of food. From early advertising for classic brands such as Van Houten and Van Nelle, to food pornography, astronaut food and gastrophysics. On the basis of historical and contemporary visual material, this book also shows how the designer's language conforms to the spirit of the times, uses stereotypes and prejudices, or anticipates social changes. Exhibition: Design Museum, Den Bosch, The Netherlands (30.06. - 28.10.2018).