The Beauty of Food Redistribution
‘The Beauty of Food Redistribution’ is an innovative and thought-provoking exhibition intertwining art, technology, and social activism. Curated by Fiona Hollis, for food charity, City Harvest, it highlights the importance and impact of food redistribution, and uses social return on investment (SROI) data as provided by Bain & Co which forms the backbone of the City Harvest Value Report series.
The art work was commissioned to visually convey the power of the food report. Using the data, artist, Yanis Georges, created visual representations of the charity’s impact. The animation shows the impact made each month, and the series of stills come alive with AR. The stunning stills are limited edition derivitives of the 3D animation.
‘The Harmonious Rhythm of Generosity’ Yanis Georges.
Oscar Ryan, Yanis Georges, Fiona Hollis – monolith, St Paul’s Cathedral.
The 3D particle animation shows integral green strands shooting out from the centre of an empty space.
Each green strand represents the logistics of food deliveries made each month. The green strands create yellow balls, which represent the food that is shared for free to communities in London. The pink ripples that are created by the yellow balls, represent the social impact felt by communities which receive free food.
By the time the animation finishes, the teeming space is almost full, and when the month’s data ends, the animation loops and begins again. This piece represents the social impact of a month’s work from City Harvest, food charity. “Beautifully relentless.” Fiona Hollis
Food is both physical and social medicine. Food provides essential nourishment for physical and mental health, better attainment at school, better job prospects and reduced crime. The SROI – as corroborated by Bain & Co. provided the data for this project.
However, as the animation shows, nothing lasts forever. As the pink and yellow disappear, the cycle starts again.
The City Harvest Value Report Series
Food Report
Technology & Art
The exhibition employed Augmented Reality (AR), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and 3D particle animation. Creating an immersive and interactive experience, visitors engaged with the artwork bringing the data and impact of City Harvest’s work to life.
In the 2023 Food Report, the use of AR and AI in the artwork transforms static images into animated representations of the charity’s social impact.
‘I couldn’t believe what I was seeing when it came to life, it was mesmerising! It certainly made me think about what I was looking at more than if I had just looked at it and walked past. Beautifully done.’
For the 2024 report an immersive event at Pixel Artworks showed the scale of both the need and the solution.
People Report
Community & Connection
The photography of ‘The Beauty of Food Redistribution’ emphasises the importance of community and the connections fostered through food redistribution.
Oscar’s photography captures the relationships between City Harvest and the communities they serve. Many families of school children depend on the food banks at the schools, and when the school is closed for holidays – it is noit just the school children who miss meals – it is the entire family.
This focus on community underscores the idea that food redistribution is not just about preventing waste but also about building stronger, healthier, and more resilient communities.
Sharing food is love.
Planet Report
The Cycle of Life
One of the central themes of the exhibition is the idea of circularity and the cycle of life.
Vividly depicted through Nacoca Ko’s series of six images, which emphasise the robustness and beauty of life’s cycles. The artwork illustrates how food redistribution not only prevents waste but also fosters new cycles of health and community well-being. This cyclical perspective underscores the interconnectedness of all life forms and the importance of sustainable practices in nurturing both people and the planet.
The exhibition has three different modules, discover more about each artist seperately. Yanis Georges, Nacoca Ko, Oscar J Ryan.