Xijing XU, Tian WU and Yue LIU are three Chinese design students of the China Academy of Arts. They created a sustainable installation that shows the traditional Tofu production and that can be used during exhibitions.

SOYC: “Can you explain us what your project is and focus on its sustainability?”

Yue LIU: “Tofu Drink is a contemporary reinterpretation of the traditional Chinese production process of tofu, simplified and conceived to be used during special events. By transforming the traditional instruments into an intuitive installation, it allows people with some simple interactions to see and enjoy in real time the whole tofu drink production cycle. In this wat the traditional tofu production has been represented in a contemporary context and tofu culture could be continued sustainably with the social development, people will enjoy the food culture and also be kept in contact with sustainable dimension of life.”

SOYC: “Why did you decide to create your project?”

Tian WU: “For us the sensation of the taste is deeply connected with the other feelings, which influences our understandings of culture and even our relevant feeling to a special culture group. From this perspective, tofu and other soja products as old traditional Asian food has played the role, which awoke our nostalgia. Although until today they still appear on the table in everyday life, the big industry production distance us from the origin of what we eat. It’s not a criticism against the mass production, but with a deeper perception of the form process, it allows us building a multisensory tasting memory for ourselves.”

SOYC: “What did inspire you?”

Xijing XU: “During the research in countryside in Anhui province, we have visited many tofu ateliers, where different kinds of soja food were made in a really performative way. These experiences have inspired us to present the beautiful process into a modern ritual, which makes the eater (or in this context also audience) come closer to the story of food.”

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