Visualizing Foodways Field School: Art, Food, and Food Systems from Hemispheric Perspectives

Curated and directed by Zoë Heyn-Jones, the Visualizing Foodways Field School (VFFS) gathered a group of 40 artists, activists, researchers, students, farmers, and cooks in Mexico City from February 17 to 22, 2023 to engage in embodied experiences and conversations at the nexus of food and art in Mesoamerica and across the hemisphere to mobilize meaningful collaborations around sustainable food systems. 

Through site visits, meals, lectures, performances, and artist talks, we shared in embodied learning activities in key zones of Mexico City that each have unique and significant agricultural and culinary traditions including Milpa Alta, Xochimilco, and the historic Centre. 

These beautiful collaborations included encounters with Colectivo Amasijo, Cocina CoLaboratorio, Mujeres de la Tierra, Calpulli Tecalco, Chinampa Ttlazolteotl, Beatriz Paz Jiménez, Valeria Mata, Sameer Farooq, Santiago del Conde, Yasmine Ostendorf-Rodríguez, Aleph Escobedo, Eric Namour/Bacal, Pan con Madre, Masa Pasta Bar, Amapola del Sabor, Colectivo Ahuejote, and  Grace Gloria Denis. 

The Visualizing Foodways Field School was produced by Hemispheric Encounters and supported by our Food Art Research Network, Centre for Sustainable Curating at University of Western Ontario, and Creative Food Research Collaboratory.