Waste as a narrative device in contemporary artworks

Food and waste seem to stand on two opposite ends of the digestive network’s spectrum: on the one hand, there is that which is destined to be ingested; on the other, that which stands as the result of consumption. There is rarely crossover between the two, for their juxtaposition is sure to generate abjection. While I appreciate how abject matter translates into art, my interest lies elsewhere. I wonder about the temporal qualities of waste and food, their respective values, and their ability to open up unanticipated futures when displayed in artworks. 

As I explore Esse’s archives, No. 50 Nourritures and No. 64 Waste stand out, for they are both fully dedicated to exploring the display of food, waste, and remains in contemporary art, beyond mere abject provocation. They raise issues that pertain to wasted food, excessive food production, consumption, waste accumulation, programmed obsolescence, and human responsibility in the face of environmental instabilities. In the editorial of No. 64 Waste, Esse’s editor, Sylvette Babin, eloquently comments on how “waste, in its multiple forms and locations, and the artworks derived from it show us a bit more who we are.”¹ 1 - Sylvette Babin, “Waste: Inspiration or Expiation?” Esse, No. 64 (2008). The mirror-like quality of waste (be it derived from food or objects) is very much at work today, fifteen years after the publication of Waste and almost twenty years after that of Nourritures. For this research residency, I look back on those issues and close in on some of the concepts put forward by their contributors. From these concepts, I seek to develop an understanding of waste and food as narrative and as temporal devices when they are showcased in contemporary artworks, and I wonder if this can be achieved without falling prey to logics of abjection or aestheticization.