For those of you interested in food culture, EATLACMA, is not to be missed. This multi-faceted investigation of food, art, culture and politics presented by Fallen Fruit has been on view at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) all year with projects revolving around food as a common ground. These projects have manifested themselves as artists’ gardens planted and harvested on the museum campus, hands-on public events, and a concurrent exhibition, Fallen Fruit Presents The Fruit of LACMA.

The Fallen Fruit exhibition culminates November 7 in “Let Them Eat LACMA“ at the museum. This all day affair promises to be exciting with such novel experiences as a tomato fight, a watermelon eating contest, chewing carolers and digestion/belly-listening sessions, to name a few.

One project on view is the Food Pyramid by Didier Hess. This installation considers the diet suggestion of Big Food and the resultant mode of food production dominant in the late twentieth century. The structure is a compact model of an operational, low-impact food garden, operating with a solar-powered pump and recycling water from the top of the pyramid. The Food Pyramid naturally balances its ecology with native bog plants, vegetables, rocks and gravel. The waste generated from the tilapia in the pond nourish the tomatoes, onions, lettuce and cilantro growing in surrounding plant containers. At the final day of events on November 7, the Food Pyramid will be consumed in the form of fish tacos harvested from this amazing, sustainable mini-garden.

Now that’s an art installation that’s not hard to swallow.

I’ve always shied away from art that’s hidden away in cold galleries. Rather, I want to see art that is spontaneous, context-driven and made by the imaginations of people like you and me. Learning To Love You More is a website that’s done just that.

Artists Miranda July and Harrell Fletcher have posted open-ended artistic assignments online and anybody can choose one (or more), do the work and post their outcome online.

Paintings, photographs, poetry, video – all forms of media are there, and the results have come from everyone, not just professional artists. Interestingly enough, this people-driven art has garnered the interest of a wide variety of display centers for exhibitions worldwide.

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of examples posted throughout the website, but here are some that stood out for me. Check out the site and let me know which ones spoke to you.

Feel the News
(shown above)

Write Your Life Story in Less Than a Day

Record the Sound That Is Keeping You Awake
Make a Field Guide to Your Yard

Make an Educational Public Plaque

Recreate an Object from Someone’s Past