2/23/2006: London in biscuits

Undertoad · 02-23-2006, 12:29 PM

72,000 biscuits -- or, you know, "cookies" -- were used to put together this installation called "Eating the City" by Song Dong (no, that's the guy's name). It's a model of London. It was displayed for the last week in Selfridge's department store. And now, they're eating it. Yes, they are, the general public is invited to hunker down.

Actually, that's the whole point. This Guardian article explains Mr. Dong's approach:

"The purpose of my work is for the city I build to be destroyed," Dong says. "I don't have a particular city to copy from, nor a particular architectural style. I am merely following the town planning of the present day."

Dong's biscuit cities - he has built five so far - were inspired by the speed of change and urban development in China. "The expansion of a city is caused by our desire. As cities in Asia grow, old buildings are knocked down and new ones built, almost every day. Some cities have even been built from scratch in 20 years.

"My city will be built of sweets and biscuits, making it tempting and delicious. When we are eating the city we are using our desire to taste it, but at the same time, we're demolishing the city and turning it into a ruin."

02-23-2006, 12:29 PM	#1
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	2/23/2006: London in biscuits 72,000 biscuits -- or, you know, "cookies" -- were used to put together this installation called "Eating the City" by Song Dong (no, that's the guy's name). It's a model of London. It was displayed for the last week in Selfridge's department store. And now, they're eating it. Yes, they are, the general public is invited to hunker down. Actually, that's the whole point. This Guardian article explains Mr. Dong's approach: "The purpose of my work is for the city I build to be destroyed," Dong says. "I don't have a particular city to copy from, nor a particular architectural style. I am merely following the town planning of the present day." Dong's biscuit cities - he has built five so far - were inspired by the speed of change and urban development in China. "The expansion of a city is caused by our desire. As cities in Asia grow, old buildings are knocked down and new ones built, almost every day. Some cities have even been built from scratch in 20 years. "My city will be built of sweets and biscuits, making it tempting and delicious. When we are eating the city we are using our desire to taste it, but at the same time, we're demolishing the city and turning it into a ruin."

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