With a background in architecture, Shira Benarroch develops artistic research centred on microbial and fungal alchemies through the creation of living edible materials, in which bacteria, yeasts and mycelia act as creative partners and forces of transformation.
Through fermentation, she transforms plant-based substrates to bring forth new textures, flavours and fragrances. Her multisensory installations, conceived as ephemeral architectures of micro-ecosystems, take the form of fermentation devices, tasting journeys or experiential dinners, where the act of eating becomes an embodied artistic experience.
These environments question our symbiotic and relational condition with invisible life forms. Through ingestion, exchange and cohabitation, they invite us to experience the biological dynamics that constitute us, opening up sensory situations in which our perceptions of the body, the environment and living beings are reconfigured.
Edible installations
Works presented as installations, tables and sensory environments, conceived as performative situations in which tasting engages the body in a direct experience of symbiotic relationships and the cycles of life.
They engage taste, sight, smell and touch in a sensory, evolving and situated aesthetic. Designed for specific contexts, these creations are presented in artistic, cultural or event settings.
Experiential dinners
Immersive meals conceived as sensory journeys through plants and their metamorphoses. Each sequence explores a transformation, a temporality, and questions the very act of eating.
Sharing and support
Training, talks and bespoke creations: the practice extends through teaching, project support and the sharing of expertise in fermentation and living food cultures.