You might want to grab a snack before reading the following lines. They are guaranteed to whet your appetite. After all, it’s been true since time immemo- rial that you don’t just eat with your taste buds, but with your eyes too. That’s the core philosophy of the artistic-culinary trio, Crazy Bruschettas (Bláznivé bruschetty), which decided to transform dull buffets into a taste-bud orgy and an eccentric performance rolled into one.
From the Stage to the World of Catering
Behind this unconventional project stand three artists: Anna Kameníková, Natálie Košťálová, and Františka Malasková. While Natálie and Františka met at DAMU (the Theatre Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, Ed.), where they focused on scenography and production, Anna was building her acting career. “Františka and I wanted to connect food with theatre back in school. We designed various concepts where food figured into the scenography or was the content of the performance itself. Eventually, we met Anča (Anna), who loves to cook. We started experimenting together in 2024, and that’s how Bruschettas were born,” Natálie explains.
How is such an edible installation created? According to Františka, “the resulting concepts don’t have one specific author.” Partial ideas born from a joint discussion gradually gain clear contours in the form of precisely arranged canapés, an extravagant buffet, or perhaps a cake that doubles as a screen for projecting a film.
What Can You Eat?
In their work, Bruschettas utilize the element of surprise and the “wow” effect, interacting with the audience. What looks like decoration at first glance might be a delicious surprise. As Anna enthusiastically explains, “everything you see on the table or platter is almost always edible. Food can be served on edible sand, a tablecloth, or perhaps a mound of spices.” They showcased their innovative approach, for example, during the presentation of designer Klára Šmakalová’s Irma handbag, where they completed the bag with a chain made of grissini sticks, garnished it with horseradish foam, and placed it on an edible tablecloth made of mortadella.
Text: Kristýna Šestáková | Photo: Anna Všelichová, Barbora Nováková
