Itamar Gilboa's 'World of Plenty' Installation at MIC Faenza Explores Global Hunger Through Neuroscience and Ceramics

Artist Itamar Gilboa presents 'World of Plenty' at MIC Faenza's Project Room until April 26, curated by Alessandra Laitempergher. The installation addresses the paradox of food abundance alongside global hunger through ceramic sculptures derived from fMRI brain scans taken during fasting. Gilboa collaborated with neuroscientist Job van den Hurk to capture neural activity patterns, which were translated into 260 white ceramic forms representing the number of people who die from hunger every fifteen minutes. The exhibition includes a film, real-time counter, and ceramic tiles depicting brain sections, creating an immersive experience that connects individual neurological states with collective social issues. The project began in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on food systems and references the 1942 documentary 'World of Plenty' by Paul Rotha and Eric Knight. Ceramic production involved collaboration with Aida Bertozzi using Italian white earthenware, linking the work to Faenza's ceramic tradition.