BEYOND TASTE
Beyond Taste is an 8-piece series of stoneware tableware.
Each piece centers on one or two sensory cues apart from taste, always connected with either the origin or the preparation of the food.
We have created many barriers between our sensory perception and the world around us.
Amidst our progressively digitalized world, there is an innate yearning for sensory experiences, particularly when it pertains to something as fundamental as food.
BEYOND TASTE An Interplay Of All Senses
Beyond Taste is built upon the discoveries of a relatively new scientific field known as Gastrophysics. The core idea behind this field is rather simple: Eating entails more than just the sense of taste; it involves a harmonious interplay among all our senses.
Gastrophysics represents an interdisciplinary scientific discipline that draws from the realms of neuroscience, physics, and chemistry to elucidate the intricate relationship between gastronomy and cooking. One of Gastrophysics' primary objectives is to unravel the sensory responses that occur during the act of eating. What has been uncovered through this exploration is that the interplay between our senses is far more intricate and essential than previously understood. It's no longer viable to consider a single sense in isolation; instead, all our senses are inherently interconnected. Our reactions are not limited solely to the flavors of the food we taste; they also extend to what we perceive visually, audibly, olfactorily, and through touch. This phenomenon, often referred to as the "multisensory experience," serves as the cornerstone of the project.
Beyond Taste leverages design as a potent tool for rendering the theories of gastrophysics more palpable and comprehensible. The project delves into the fusion of food and design, exploring innovative means of expressing creativity
from the culinary workspace to the dining table. Central to this exploration is an emphasis on how dining implements of diverse shapes, colors, textures, and other sensory triggers can significantly influence our overall eating experience.
The Future Of Tableware
While food undeniably stands as one of life's most gratifying pleasures, it paradoxically presents itself as an immense challenge. Yet, the joy derived from it and the difficulties faced are not solely rooted in the nature of sustenance itself; rather, they are fundamentally entwined with our manner of consumption. In the tapestry of our daily lives, our communion with food has become strained. This is in part attributable to the mounting populace inhabiting urban environs, thereby becoming detached from the origins of nourishment and the intricate processes that yield it. Gradually, we've erected numerous barriers severing our sensory perception from the world that envelops us.
The burgeoning global inclination toward crafting elevated dining experiences can be illuminated through the lens of a quest for equilibrium amid our whirlwind existence, increasingly dominated by speed, digital interfaces, and abstract interactions. By orchestrating a harmonious symphony of all our senses, the potential arises to dismantle these obstructions. Through this unification, the act of consuming food transforms into a more profound and immersive encounter.
About
TERESA BERGER
Teresa Berger is an interdisciplinary designer who primarily engages with clay as her medium of choice. Drawn by ceramics' rich tradition and history, she sees its potential for adaptation to our modern demands and desires. Embracing the significance of understanding the past and reevaluating existing elements, Teresa delves into rituals and traditions, aiming to extract their relevance for the present moment. Her artistic exploration is typified by the creation of utilitarian objects, in which material, form, color, and construction coalesce into a cohesive whole. Her designs and concepts are distinguished by their clarity, simplicity, and practicality.
The SERIES —
SMOKE DOME
The Smoke Dome increases the flavors of smoked dishes by making the smoke visible and physically present at the table.
A silicone dome filled with oak wood smoke acts as a stage for food. When lifting food off the dome, smoke is escaping through small holes and immediately engulfs the diner in fumes of woody smoke.
The Series — SMOKE DOME
LANDSCAPE PLATE
The Landscape Plate is inspired by a soft hilly landscape and offers a playful stage for various dishes. This plate is the perfect fit for classic beef tartar as well as a more challenging game of maneuvering a raw egg yolk through the hills to collect the remaining ingredients.
The Series — LANDSCAPE PLATE
CAVIAR BOWL
The feel of the hands is equally important as what the mouth feels. Touch is the largest and earliest developing of our senses and a direct tool for knowledge.
The Caviar Bowl focuses particularly on this tactile experience: In a black bowl caviar, lentils, bubble tea and other dishes with a similar texture, can be served. The structure on the outside of the bowl resembles the structure of the food served – so the dish can be experienced with mouth, tongue and hands at the same time.
The Series — CAVIAR BOWL
SEABED PLATE
This piece of the series resembles the bottom of the sea and encourages the diner to use the fingers and experience the rock-like surface.
Light grey glazed stoneware
L 22.5 cm / W 12 cm / H 3 cm
The Series — SEABED PLATE
DRIPPING DISH
The Dripping Dish consists of two parts. The top part acts as a strainer slowly releasing liquid into the bowl underneath.
Light blue glazed stoneware, 2 Parts
Strainer ∅ 15 cm / H 2 cm — Bowl ∅ 14 cm / H 5 cm
The Series — DRIPPING DISH
ORGANIC MOTION
Organic Motion is the ideal plate for any saucy dish. It is inspired by the Italian ritual of »fare la scarpetta« referring to the small piece of bread used to mop up the last bit of sauce on the plate.
Light grey glazed stoneware
L 20 cm / W 18 cm / H 1.7 cm
The Series — ORGANIC MOTION
DANCING BOWL
The Dancing Bowl is a very soft silicone bowl resting in a dent on a plate. When touched with a spoon the bowl starts to wiggle in front of the diners' eyes.
Dark red glazed plate from stoneware & translucent silicone bowl
Silicone Bowl ∅ 12 cm / H 5 cm — Plate ∅ 14 cm / H 1.5 cm
The Series — DANCING BOWL
SOUND DONUT
The Sound Donut is a donut-shaped object which a mini-Bluetooth-speaker hidden inside. The speaker, paired with a smartphone, tablet or computer, plays spherical sounds that make chocolate taste sweeter or enhance bitterness.
DETAILS —
SMOKE DOME
Material Stoneware, Silicone
Dimensions in cm
Silicone Dome ∅ 16 / H 3.5
Plate ∅ 17.5 / H 1.5
Color Dark Blue, Transparent
LANDSCAPE PLATE
Material Stoneware
Dimensions in cm ∅ 16 / H 1.5
Color Light Green 17.5
CAVIAR BOWL
Material Stoneware
Dimensions in cm
∅ 11 / H 4
Color Black
SEABED PLATE
Material Stoneware
Dimensions in cm
L 22.5 / W 12 / H 3
Color Light Grey
DRIPPING DISH
Material Stoneware
Dimensions in cm
Strainer ∅ 15 / H 2
Bowl ∅ 14 / H 5
Color Light Blue
ORGANIC MOTION
Material Stoneware
Dimensions in cm L 20 / W 18 / H 1.7
Color Light Grey
DANCING BOWL
Material
Stoneware, Silcone
Dimensions in cm
Silicone Bowl ∅ 12 / H 5
Plate ∅ 14 / H 1.5
Color
Dark Red, Translucent
SOUND DONUT
Material
Stoneware, Rubber, Mini-Bluetooth-Speaker
Dimensions in cm ∅ 13.5 / H 5
Color
Soft Pink
TERESA BERGER
OFFICE
Alser Straße 53/22 1080 Wien Austria
STUDIO & SHOWROOM
Baumannstraße 4/3-4 1030 Wien Austria
+43 676 9467767
teresa-berger@mail.com
beyondtaste.persona.co www.teresa-berger.com
@_teresaberger
Creative Direction, Words & Design Teresa Berger
Photography Teresa Berger, Thomas Cervenca, Philipp Podesser (Kollektiv Fischka)
Printing errors, color differences or changes in the collection reserved.
© Teresa Berger, Vienna 2020
All rights reserved.
beyondtaste.persona.co www.teresa-berger.com