Artists and organizations working at the 

Both art and agriculture can nourish the body as well as the soul. They can cross cultural boundaries to show human creativity and innovation.

Today, many artists and organizations combine food and artwork to promote humanitarian causes like food sustainability and environmental health. DJ Cavem, a hip-hop artist and vegan lifestyle enthusiast, tells Food Tank: “We’ve got to use art for social changes.” Not only for conscious consumption but also for the mind.

Food Tank has selected 29 noteworthy artists and organizations that are working to bring arts and culture into agriculture.

1. Soren Aagaard – Copenhagen, Denmark

Soren Aagaard , a Danish chef and artist, combines multimedia art installations and thematically-related meals to explore connections between human culture and culinary history. To showcase his multidisciplinary approach, he co-founded the Copenhagen YEARS art gallery as well as restaurants Okto and Foodoir. Aagaard has been featured in galleries, film festivals, and communal spaces, as well as the Roskilde music festival, for his boundary-defying art and cuisine.

2. A L T O – Alto Paraiso, Brazil

The A T O program is a residency that brings artists to the Brazilian Highlands in order to explore the relationship between art and sustainability. Artists in the program create work inspired by nature while actively restoring the environment. This is done through gardening, composting, solar energy harvesting and recycling. Artists and artisans have been hosted by the residency program, including photographers, painters and furniture designers.

3. Astro – Seoul, South Korea

In 2020, the boyband Astro of Korean Pop (K Pop) became the face of South Korean cuisine. K-Pop was featured in advertising campaigns sponsored by the government to promote South Korean agricultural products. Astro uses K-Pop and its global reach to boost the South Korean economy and agricultural sector.

4. The Branch – Osaka (Japan)

Osaka, Japan-based artist residency program The Branch hosts international artists to explore sustainability through environmental-focused exhibitions. The community garden and cafe, as well as the art space, promote an eco-philosophy through neighborhood outreach and art installations. The Branch was recognized by the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management, the Centre for Contemporary Art and the Natural World, and the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management in 2018 for its significant contributions to the environmental arts field.

5. Center for the Study of Force Majeure, Santa Cruz, California (U.S.)

The Center for the Study of Force Majeure, based in Santa Cruz, CA, is the result of over 40 years of collaboration between Newton Harrison and biologists, and ecologists. architects, urban planners, and artists. The multidisciplinary installations of the eco-artist explore ecological health, food sustainability, and human relationship with Earth’s resources. The Center’s scientific work has been recognized with numerous awards and grants. It has also helped to inform official government policies worldwide.

6. London, England – Cooking Sections

The London-based duo Cooking Sections, Daniel Fernandez Pascual & Alon Schwabe, explore the ecological implications of human consumption by creating multidisciplinary art installations. The duo creates site-specific art installations that emphasize the impact of humans on the environment and propose novel ideas for fostering sustainable relationships. The Future Generation 2019 Art Prize, as well as the Harvard Graduate School of Design 2020 Wheelwright Prize, were awarded for their long-running, interactive, and continuously evolving exhibitions.

7. DJ Cavem – Denver, Colorado, US

Denver rapper, activist, and vegan chef, DJ Cavem, stewards a unique genre of music called eco-hip-hop. DJ Cavem uses his entrepreneurial endeavors to spread his plant-centric message, addressing issues such as food sustainability, climate change, and food injustice – focusing on inner cities and vulnerable children. The multi-faceted artist has promoted his musical activism through high-profile performances, such as Oprah Magazine and Rachael Ray’s show.

8. Rocky Dawuni, Ghana, Africa

Rocky Dawuni is a Ghanaian singer-songwriter and producer with a prolific career as a musician and activist. Dawuni uses Afrobeat and activism to highlight food insecurity and environmental sustainability issues. The artist was named U.N. The artist has been named the U.N. Dawuni and was honored for his humanitarian efforts at events like the U.N. Global Climate Action Summit. Center for International Forestry Research Global Landscapes Forum. Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights “Ripple Of Hope” Awards.

9. Fallen Fruit – Los Angeles, California, US

David Burns, Austin Young, and a map of Los Angeles fruit trees inspired the Fallen Fruit project. The goal was to contextualize fruits as powerful symbols for community and sustainability. Fruit trees are used by the artists to create multimedia installations, distribute food, plan urban spaces, and support protests. Fallen Fruit has received numerous awards, and their work is featured in many publications, including The New York Times, NPR, and The Huffington Post.

10. Fertile Ground – Jackson, Mississippi, U.S.

Inspiring Dialog About Food Access is a policy initiative and multidisciplinary art project addressing Jackson’s food insecurity. The project aims to reform the city’s food access system through urban design, collaboration with community members, and collaborative art projects. The city is adorned with multimedia art installations that highlight the history of redlining and food apartheid. The city has created urban gardens, farm-to-table restaurants, and municipal food access initiatives through Fertile Ground’s urban renewal effort.

11. FoodCultura in Barcelona, Spain

FoodCultura, a nonprofit organization in Barcelona, Spain, explores the impact global food culture has on society and the environment. FoodCultura was founded by Antoni Miralda and uses interactive art installations and multidisciplinary research to promote food sustainability. Miralda was awarded the 2018 Velazquez Award for Plastic Arts by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Culture in recognition of her extensive and food-focused work.

12. Futurefarmers – San Francisco, California, US

Futurefarmers, founded by San Francisco artist and designer Amy Franceschini is an international design studio of artists, anthropologists and farmers who analyze food systems critically. The collaborative project creates artworks meant to stimulate thoughtful discussions about food sustainability, public transportation, and agriculture. Futurefarmers has exhibited their work at events and institutions around the globe, including New York City, Rome, Taipei, and Oslo.

13. Fernando Garcia-Dory – Madrid, Spain

Fernando Garcia Dory, a Madrid-based Spanish artist, has a background in fine arts, sociology, and agroecology. This multidisciplinary approach is used to create sustainable food systems. Garcia-Dory creates art installations that are constantly changing based on their natural ecology. His ongoing projects have earned him many grants and awards, including the Creative Time Leonore Annenberg Prize 2012 for Art and Social Change and the Radio and Television of Spain Critical Eye Award 2012 for Plastic Arts.

The Jan van Eyck Academie, a research center and artist residency program, explores environmental sustainability using multidisciplinary art installations. Food Lab, a program of the organization, brings together chefs and artists to create socially conscious cuisine that addresses issues such as sustainable agriculture, food safety, and identity. The academy hosts the annual Food Art Film Festival to highlight environmentally-focused international films. The 2018 edition of this festival partnered up with the Xiamen-based arts organization C-Platform.

Arjun Kapoor, Bollywood actor, tackles climate and food sustainability by partnering with brands and pursuing entrepreneurial endeavors. In 2016, Kapoor was promoted U.N. As the Indian ambassador to the advocacy-driven festival Global Citizen in New York City, NY. Kapoor is also the brand ambassador for the India branch World Wide Fund for Nature.