Art meets Science through Food
After its world premiere at the WASTE IS A MYTH exhibition in May 2026, the live performance “Taste of Space” was exhibited again at La Cantina della Cucina Alchimia in Vienna. The event was covered by an ORF video report.
“Taste of Space” is part of our art-meets-science collaboration, realised by Sonja Schachinger. This collaboration explores how creative practices and scientific research can challenge linear thinking together, inspiring new perspectives on sustainability, biotechnology and the future of life on Earth and beyond. Developed in the context of the Cluster of Excellence Circular Bioengineering, in which researchers collaborated with artists to create artworks expressing the cultural dimensions of circularity, “Taste of Space” is a specially designed menu intended to demonstrate how nutrition can be reimagined as a self-sustaining circular system.
Taste of Space: A Multisensory Exploration
“Taste of Space” was created by artist Kristina Pulejkova, Cluster researcher Diethard Mattanovich, and artist and chef Michael Kalivoda.
Blending biotechnology, gastronomy, and performance art, the collaboration transformed scientific concepts into a multisensory experience. Through food, storytelling, and artistic experimentation, the performance explored how microbial food systems and fermentation technologies could shape future approaches to nutrition, both on Earth and in space.
Photo credits: © Sonja Schachinger
