Ancient Grains and Futurefarmers

From Katie Anderson

Last month, I was fortunate to be the lucky recipient of a travel bursary as part of Situation's Public Art (Now) programme to trek from D&G down to Bristol to find out more about the Futurefarmer's Boat Oven and their current project in Oslo (produced by Situations) the Flatbread Society. Here's my short report from the trip for anyone interested. Would be great to see a project like this coming up the Nith into Dumfries and making flatbread with the Doonhamer's at the bus stop…

The amphibious boat oven arrives into Bristols floating harbour

By a small bakery, tucked under the bridge of Temple Meads train station stood a boat from which smoke drifted into the afternoon sky. Around it, a small crowd was gathering.

Sometimes it is the little things that most draw our attention. In a city renowned for it’s relationship with public art, my journey to Hart’s Bakery had led me through the city centre and past various permanent works – including a giant mirror ball and the horn bridge – but I was on the search for something more subtle.

Amy Franceschini began Situation’s second Public Art (Now) Live Event by introducing us to The Flatbread Society, a project developing a public bakehouse and grain field on Oslo’s waterfront. She spoke of ancient grains, the heat of the bakehouse and the Vavilov Institute in Leningrad.* The narrative provided, and soup eaten, the space was cleared.

Amy Franceschini talks ancient grains

We seek the connectedness of things as a means to further understand the world around us. A quick introduction to sociometry found the audience suitably mapped into planets and stars, depending on their connections with each other at that moment. The stars made the butter, and the planets began rolling out flatbread under the careful guidance of the Futurefarmers. The process felt meticulous, crafted and carefully considered. Each step had its own tool – from brushes to prevent too much flour blackening in the heat, to beautifully crafted rolling pins that marked the dough in neat rows.

Claire Doherty, in her introduction, descibed the boat oven as a sort of ‘Pied Piper’, and so it was that the boat became the gathering point as we crowded round to sample our collective efforts. Simple things taste best when you have lent a hand in the making. The dough of the flatbread was made using those same ancient grains delivered from the Vavilov Institute, lovingly grown in a field-allotment in Oslo before the journey to Bristol placed their narrative firmly within the thoughts (and stomachs) of all in attendance.

Blog reporters Emma I Panza and Katie Anderson taste their efforts

The event dispersed naturally, almost as seeds in the wind, and I trailed my way back – slightly sticky with honey – passing by community veg patches in the park and cafés displaying their food travel miles. Contemporary art is often seen as increasingly abstracted from everyday existence, but public artworks like this step up to the challenge of exploring, engaging, discussing, questioning and creating change in society. Franceschini and the Futurefarmers do not provide answers, but instead create experiences through which, by participation, we can grow insight, understanding and perhaps, create more questions.

My full blog is available on the Public Art (Now) website, and conversation is encouraged, either through their website, comments below or on Twitter using #PublicArtNow