Dutch Design Week 2024: Food as a catalyst for connection
Board of Dinner by Deep Food and Joseph Wan, The Netherlands

Dutch Design Week 2024: Food as a catalyst for connection

Dutch Design Week 2024 saw artists and designers using food to encourage empathy and connection towards each other and the environment.

Board of Dinner by Deep Food and Joseph Wan, The Netherlands
Good food should be a public good by Public Food and De Vormforensen, The Netherlands
MS.BIBIMCHILLIKAAS by Spicy Bites, The Netherlands

The Netherlands – Food is often used to explore broader topics and Dutch Design Week 2024 saw artists and designers using it to encourage empathy and connection towards each other and the environment.

The theme for the Embassy of Food’s exhibition was Redesigning Food Relationships. Food justice organisation Public Food opened a free vending machine to spark conversations around food insecurity, stating that ‘one in seven Dutch citizens suffer from some form of food insecurity.’ Looking to newer technologies, Mock Wild by Zack Denfeld used artificial intelligence to rethink our approach to sustainable, healthy eating. As part of the project, the MVP x FFF Food Computer took into account harvest dates and user preferences to create seasonal and sustainable nutritious recipes. 

The Board of Dinner by Deep Food and Joseph Wan used a recipe generator to explore how explainable AI (XAI) can foster empathy through food. By making the AI’s decision-making process transparent and controllable, the project positioned AI as a collaborative, relatable tool that helps users understand and appreciate different culinary traditions. It encouraged empathy by using food as a bridge between cultures, demonstrating how AI can facilitate deeper connections and cultural exchange through the shared experience of eating. 

Another installation using AI came from Spicy Bites, a collective of students from Design Academy Eindhoven and Hongik University. They presented MS.BIBIMCHILLIKAAS, an installation where users could generate absurd AI recipes to mimic the ‘diasporic experience of transformation that we experience through food.’ Similarly, Eindhoven culinary collective To Be Cooked presented Food Untold, a street stand encouraging non-EU artists to share and serve recipes from their hometowns. The installation questioned how our culinary pasts affect our current values and if food can be a driver for cultural awareness.

Stay tuned for our round-up of Dutch Design Week 2024.  

Strategic opportunity

Food brands can harness AI to experiment with new flavours and ingredients, blend different cultural traditions in innovative ways and create products that resonate with globally-minded consumers who are seeking unique, tradition-infused experiences

Discover More Signals & Stats
Stella McCartney debuts plant-based feathers at Paris Fashion Week

Signals & Stats

Stella McCartney debuts plant-based feathers at Paris Fashion Week

At Paris Fashion Week, Stella McCartney unveiled a striking alternative to bird feathers: plant-based Fevvers.
Stella McCartney : Fevvers : Feathers
Pedestrians are walking faster and lingering less in public spaces

Signals & Stats

Pedestrians are walking faster and lingering less in public spaces

Pedestrians in American cities are moving faster and spending less time lingering in public spaces, according to a new study from MIT’s Senseable C...
MIT : Wellness : Design
Stat: Taylor Swift’s new album movie breaks US box office

Signals & Stats

Stat: Taylor Swift’s new album movie breaks US box office

Taylor Swift’s latest project, The Official Release Party of a Showgirl, turned a listening event into a box office hit, earning £24.6m ($33m, €28....
Pop Culture : Advertising : Media
Chanel’s le19M brings Parisian craftsmanship to Tokyo

Signals & Stats

Chanel’s le19M brings Parisian craftsmanship to Tokyo

Chanel’s le19M has landed in Tokyo with La Galerie du 19M Tokyo, an exhibition that unites Parisian artisans and Japanese craftspeople in a celebra...
Luxury : Fashion : Design
Healf 2025 explores the future of wellness, longevity and human potential

Signals & Stats

Healf 2025 explores the future of wellness, longevity and human potential

Held at London’s 180 Studios from 3–5 October, Healf 2025 brought together the leading voices in health and science to explore the future of w...
Global Events : Health And Fitness : Men's Health
Stat: Cognitive difficulties rising sharply among young American adults

Signals & Stats

Stat: Cognitive difficulties rising sharply among young American adults

A new study published in Neurology reveals a significant increase in self-reported cognitive difficulties among US adults, particularly those under...
Health : Wellness : US Market
Future Château launches mid-strength wines at Selfridges

Signals & Stats

Future Château launches mid-strength wines at Selfridges

Future Château, the new wine brand from author Tom Benn, is launching at Selfridges in October 2025 with a debut range of premium 5% ABV wines desi...
Drinks : Retail : Food
OpenArea reframes nature as cultural canvas with new London festival

Signals & Stats

OpenArea reframes nature as cultural canvas with new London festival

OpenArea, the brainchild of cultural strategist Ollie Olanipekun, transformed Camley Street Nature Reserve in King’s Cross into a vibrant hub of ar...
Nature : Food : Design
Stat: Americans push back against tipflation

Signals & Stats

Stat: Americans push back against tipflation

Tipping fatigue is intensifying across the US, with 65% of consumers saying they are tired of tipping – up from 53% in 2023, according to Popmenu’s...
Retail : US Market : Hospitality
Lancôme opens luxury retreat space and cafe in Doha airport

Signals & Stats

Lancôme opens luxury retreat space and cafe in Doha airport

Lancôme has unveiled Café de la Rose inside Doha’s Hamad International Airport, its first travel retail café and only the second globally.
Retail : Beauty : Travel
You have 1 free News articles remaining. Sign up to LS:N Global to get unlimited access to all articles.
BECOME A MEMBER
SIGN IN