Chocolate as Art: From Duchamp's Machine to Munch's Freia Frieze
The use of chocolate as an artistic medium is explored from Marcel Duchamp's 1914 piece 'Broyeuse de chocolat' at MoMA in New York, on display until August 22, to modern edible sculptures. Duchamp’s creation removes chocolate's indulgent connotation. In contrast, Paul McCarthy's 'Chocolate Factory' turns mass production into a jarring performance, while Ed Ruscha's 'Chocolate Room' at the 1970 Venice Biennale features deteriorating chocolate wallpaper. Vik Muniz's 'Pictures of Chocolate' reinterprets famous artworks using syrup. Additionally, Raphaël Castoriano's Kreëmart produces edible sculptures, which will be discussed at Gstaad Cultural Encounters in August. The Munch Museum's 'Edvard Munch and the Chocolate Factory' highlights Munch's 1922 works for the Freia chocolate factory, connecting art with labor welfare.
Key facts
- Marcel Duchamp's 'Broyeuse de chocolat' is on view at MoMA in New York until August 22.
- Paul McCarthy's 'Chocolate Factory' was previously exhibited at the Monnaie de Paris.
- Ed Ruscha's 'Chocolate Room' was created for the 1970 Venice Biennale.
- Vik Muniz's 'Pictures of Chocolate' series recreates art history icons and Jackson Pollock's gestures.
- Raphaël Castoriano and Kreëmart create edible sculptures, including chocolate casts for Marina Abramović and cakes by Maurizio Cattelan.
- Castoriano spoke at the Gstaad Cultural Encounters in August.
- The Munch Museum in Oslo is hosting 'Edvard Munch and the Chocolate Factory'.
- Munch's 'Freia Frieze' consists of twelve monumental paintings from 1922 for the Freia chocolate factory's women's canteen.
- The Freia Frieze paintings were exposed to cocoa smoke and dust for a century.
Entities
Artists
- Marcel Duchamp
- Paul McCarthy
- Ed Ruscha
- Vik Muniz
- Jackson Pollock
- Raphaël Castoriano
- Marina Abramović
- Maurizio Cattelan
- Edvard Munch
- Mario Martone
- Roald Dahl
Institutions
- Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
- Monnaie de Paris
- Venice Biennale
- Kreëmart
- Gstaad Cultural Encounters
- Munch Museum
- Freia
Locations
- New York
- United States
- Paris
- France
- Venice
- Italy
- Gstaad
- Switzerland
- Oslo
- Norway
- Ekeberg
Sources
- Artslife —