Denmark Debates Gastronomy as Art

The push to recognize gastronomy as art in Denmark is championed by chefs like Rasmus Munk of the two-Michelin-starred Alchemist. His Copenhagen restaurant offers a multi-sensory experience with 50 "impressions," including dishes that comment on social and environmental issues, served beneath a planetarium-like dome projecting scenes like ocean plastic pollution. In January, Denmark's Culture Minister Jakob Engel-Schmidt announced the government would explore formally reclassifying high-end cooking as an art form. This potential move, which would require a vote in parliament, could make chefs eligible for state subsidies and private arts funding, similar to musicians and writers. The debate has sparked dissent within the culinary world itself. Nick Curtin, the American chef at Copenhagen's Michelin-starred Alouette, argues that art's purpose is pure expression, which can include negative emotions, whereas food must ultimately be consumed and shouldn't evoke feelings like disgust or pain. Proponents argue that the intention, transformation of ingredients, and communication of ideas elevate some culinary creations to art. The discussion follows a significant rise in Denmark's culinary reputation, which now boasts 37 Michelin-starred restaurants, a movement largely ignited by the "New Nordic" philosophy of René Redzepi's Noma in 2003. This is not the first time Denmark has expanded its official definition of art; the country has previously awarded a lifetime arts honor to heavy metal musician King Diamond and recognized digital games as a cultural medium. The conversation in Denmark is happening while other culinary traditions seek different forms of recognition. While nations like France and Japan have not made similar moves to classify their famed food cultures as art, Italy successfully had its cuisine granted UNESCO cultural heritage status. Historically, the concept of food as art is not new. In the 17th century, cookbooks bore titles like "The Art of Cookery." The early 20th-century Futurist movement in Italy, led by F.T. Marinetti, published "The Futurist Cookbook" in 1932, a manifesto that treated dining as an avant-garde performance. At Alchemist, the experience extends far beyond the plate, taking place in multiple locations over up to six hours and involving elements of theater, science, and technology. Dishes are designed to provoke thought on issues like state surveillance, animal welfare, and organ donation, such as a lamb brain mousse served in a realistic human head mold.