There is no better place to talk about food than around a table while eating. At some point or another, in the most glorious moments of joy, we have all experienced the “sins” of gluttony and gourmandise. Sitting at the table eating a delicious meal inspires calls for new restaurant visits, memories of the unique soup grandma used to make, or father’s unforgettable paella, and mostly the call to eat again. No doubt, the shared table inspires conversations, also about food.

To honor these relational practices, TBA21–Academy has organized a series of “Convivial Tables” as the perfect avenue to discuss the complex ties between what we eat and its ecological impact, with a particular focus on its effect on bodies of water. The scarcity of fish resources that were once common, pollution of soil and water, the flow of new species perversely called “invasive,” the urgent need to support alternative modes of production and distribution of food, and the implementation of regenerative economies and practices are the core principles guiding the guest chefs as they design the menus for the “Convivial Tables.” Chefs, their collaborators, and invited guests will eat together and reflect on a future food supply chain that would be regenerative and mindful of the ocean. The research aims to contribute to the ongoing discussion on food resources by raising awareness to the potential harm of everyday routines and encouraging an interspecies approach. Changes begin by implementing new practices. Let’s practice then.

For the first round of "Convivial Tables", “Entrée: The Pannier of the Lagoon,” Venice and the lagoon provide the framework. To accompany the guest chefs’ dedication and expertise as regards products and methods, selected local producers, a historian, an anthropologist, a scientist, and an activist will assist in the preparation of the menu and the conversations highlighting some of the most pressing issues explored in the chef’s menu. Alongside contributing to the growing food-ecology community and supporting the existing players in these discussions, the knowledge produced around the “Convivial Tables“ will be published online so that the menus and the reflections on food and ecology from experts and devotees can be shared with others. Enjoy!

“Convivial Tables. Entrée: The Pannier of the Lagoon,” takes place at Ocean Space, Venice, in close collaboration with TOCIA! and chef Marco Bravetti. The food research is also a central part of the practices of Zoöp, a research program on regenerative and interspecies cohabitation in which TBA21–Academy is a partner.  

Led by María Montero Sierra, Barbara Nardacchione with Markus Reymann and Alice Ongaro Sartori.

Convivial Tables. Entrée: The Pannier of the Venice Lagoon. | Online Publication

Editor: María Montero Sierra and Barbara Nardacchione
Texts: Diego Calaon, L. Sasha Gora, Lodovica Guarnieri, Camila Marambio, María Montero Sierra, Jane Da Mosto, Barbara Nardacchione, Anna Perdibon, Chiara Spadaro
Recipes: Marco Bravetti, Silvia Rozas, Marco Zambon
Drawings: Simone Carraro and Luigi Divari

The publication has contributed to further the reflections on the themes explored on the journey we initiated last year, eating and discussing the ecologies of food and the effects on the bodies of water. From the start, it was essential for us to honor the amazing Venetian foodie-conscious community formed by the unique individual and collective projects with whom we share practices and ethics of how to imagine a more-than-human Venice.The chosen subjects of the first edition of Convivial Tables, salinity, toxicity, and “invasive species,” are reflected in the situated words by the conductors of the sessions, in the dedicated recipes, and in the essays compiled here.