The ideal Eating Experience is an interactive exhibition format that displays existing design projects around food and particularly highlights their link to visitor’s everyday lives. It focuses on the approach of a gradual change in what we consider as “normal”.

The exhibition “plays” in the setting of a snack bar. Visitors have the choice between various snacks and, depending on their shopping decision, are informed about design projects that rethink, question and classify topics around that food.

Thematically, the spectrum ranges from the perception of human and plant ideals to lichen as a promising nutritional supplement. Besides getting to know the projects, the exhibition provides insights into the scope of personal consumer behaviour, which is presented to visitors in the form of a cash ticket. The number of points behind the individual snacks corresponds to this system: “A good day has 100 points.”

These eco-points do not only reflect consumer behaviour but also stand for the countless decisions made around eating. Our approach was to enable visitors to have more agency that instead of being dogmatic (“Eat less meat!”) the cash ticket suggests motivating instructions for action (“Try something new!”). These instructions come directly from the designers of each project who have been interviewed beforehand.

„The setting of the snack bar and the surprise effect of the points account on the receipt supported an everyday connection and thus the connection of the individual to a global issue.“ - Alice Jacubasch (Focus Urban Food & Design, Vienna Business Agency)