Loredana Longo's 'F as Fire' Performance Dinner in Milan

On June 11, 2019, artist Loredana Longo (born 1967) will present a dinner-happening titled 'F as Fire' at Workness in Milan, as part of the project 'Con l'arte si mangia' curated by Giusi Affronti. The project, first tested in 2017 at Nuvole gallery in Palermo, is based on 'the exceptionality of experience' and involves a limited number of diners. Longo guides them through a four-course meal with thematic names like 'code rosse tra le nebbie di mare' and 'sciara nera fondente e lava di bosco'. The menu, developed from a brainstorming session between chef Lillo Frigoli and Longo, centers on fire as the main ingredient. Affronti explains that Longo's artistic practice stems from an 'aesthetics of destruction,' often using fire to achieve the final form of a work or to interpret a performance. The project's name references former Economy Minister Giulio Tremonti's 2010 statement 'Con la cultura non si mangia' (You can't eat culture). The dinner, set in a gallery/home, will be interrupted by an unexpected 'attack-like event' during the meal. Affronti notes that Longo, as host, arranges the table with burnt cloth and long-stemmed candles. The project aims to undermine traditional stereotypes within a domestic setting. A cycle of similar meetings is being planned at Workness, along with a series of itinerant actions.