Last Saturday I attended 70x7 The Meal as a volunteer. The Meal was part of the What We Sow project organized by the Mural Arts Program. I was initially pretty excited to be involved, as artist and food advocate, this seemed a great opportunity for me to ‘get involved’. I was incorrect. As much as I would love to write a wonderful review about this event I cannot. It is built as a beautiful idea: communal, sustainable… French. But unfortunately the execution was just plain lacking and it really was just much too hot that day.
The Meal is the brainchild of Paris-based artists Lucy and Jorge Orta, an event meant to create awareness for local eating and the communal meal. Philadelphia’s own Marc Vetri was the ‘curating chef’.
Ok, I am going to go right into it all call Marc Vetri out. You. Were. Not. Involved. Curating a menu as a “consulting chef” counts for nothing. The food was actually prepared by a catering company, Cescaphe Event Group. Vetri was nowhere to be seen. Or maybe they just slapped on the Vetri name so people would actually show up. I can’t really be sure.
Orta’s color pallet: What? Biochemical at best. I’m sorry but biohazard yellow, neon green, warning red, and baby lavender do not make me think of delicious heirloom vegetables; especially paired with stenciled text reminiscent of field miliaria. Not to mention the brightly colored aprons supplied to the volunteers: lined up we looked like a gay pride parade. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but the Ortas should realize that a marching color wheel in Philadelphia doesn’t make us think of sustainable farming and localism.
I mean, I guess people had an ok time. I didn’t see a whole lot of enthusiasm, even from the Ortas themselves. I think everyone was just beat from standing in the sun for seven hours. Oh, right I guess I should mention there isn’t shade on the Thomas Paine Plaza.
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